A Thorn Among Roses
by TTCyclone
Summary: A series of oneshots that show snippets from Thor and Loki's childhood.  Brotherly love and drabble abound.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this fandom, or the awesome characters in it.

**A/n: **Hello, my readers. Now, a lot of you must be thinking, WTF SHE'S ALREADY GOT STORIES GOING ON WHY DOES SHE KEEP WRITING? Well, I'm sorry to say that the plot bunnies have taken my mind captive once more. This time, with Thor. I saw it on Sunday and it freaking blew my mind. After the movie, as I normally do, I got an imaginary scene in my head. The scene turned into a full blown plot idea and as one thing leads to another, I got inspired to write this story. Now, here's something **YOU ALL MUST READ BEFORE GOING ON.** This is a story of oneshots that eventually lead up to a plot. And as much as I hate putting them in chronological order, I'm going to force myself to do so. In this particular one, I'm saying that **Loki is about age 6 and Thor is 9.** Got it? Awesome. Read on!

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><p>Everything was peaceful. The warm rays of sunlight came cascading down from the sky. The birds were singing and a soft wind ruffled through the leaves of the trees. The breeze sent strands of Loki's raven hair into his face, but he didn't mind. In fact, he hadn't noticed. He was too immersed in the book he was reading. And sitting on a bench underneath one of the hundreds of trees in the palace orchard, it seemed like the perfect spot to get away from the confusion and bustle of the city.<p>

The orchard had been a gift that Odin had given Frigga a few hundred years ago. Frigga had a secret love for gardening. On the days she would get tired of the city, she would come to the palace's orchard and she could relax.

Loki saw how the grand garden could give his Mother such a state of relaxation. Even at his young age, he found the tranquil silence of the garden a nice break from the obnoxious ways of his brother.

"What are you doing?"

Loki sighed softly, his thin shoulders slumping. Speak of the devil.

"Why is it that you have the consistent need to bother me at every hour of the day?" asked Loki, his emerald eyes not leaving his book.

Thor, his golden haired sibling, was actually three years older than Loki himself, yet it hardly ever seemed that way at times. This was one of those times.

"Well, Father is in a meeting, and Mother won't let me near the stables because of what happened before—"

Loki cringed slightly as he recalled what Thor had done during a rather violent fit he had a few days previously. It had taken nearly ten hours before they had rounded up the horses and another four to apologize to the kingdom for letting the spooked creatures out of their confinements in the first place.

"—and so I set out to look for you. It took me all morning," Thor admitted.

"What a coincidence, brother. I've been _avoiding_ you all morning," Loki countered.

"But I have found you!" Thor said triumphantly.

"Congratulations," Loki muttered flatly.

"At least _pretend_ to be happy to see me," Thor playfully pleaded, sliding onto the stone bench next to Loki. Loki didn't respond, and Thor frowned. "What are you reading?"

Loki made a small noise in surprise as his book was suddenly ripped from his grasp. His head snapped over to his brother, who was now holding the book in his hand, looking at it as if he had never seen something quite like it before.

"Thor!" cried Loki, swiping at his brother who avoided him easily, "give it back!"

Thor's brow furrowed, batting away Loki's hands. "How can you just sit here and do nothing but look at these tiny written words? It's madness!"

"It is not madness, it is simply education," Loki explained, finally being able to snatch his book back. "And if you're too idiotic to understand that, then I pray to the Norns that they'll help you throughout life, because you'll have a rough time on your own."

"Why would you need to read about something if you could simply encounter it in person?"

"This way you would be prepared."

"Well to me it's simply a waste of time," Thor scoffed.

"As are most things. Now leave me be and—_go_—_away_!" As Loki said this, he shoved Thor off the bench. The blonde god fell to the ground with a cry of surprise mixed with pain and a soft _THUMP_. Thor winced at the sudden soreness of his behind—he would feel that in the morning.

"Prat," Loki muttered under his breath, but Thor still heard it.

Thor's pain morphed into anger at Loki. He had returned to his book, acting as if nothing had just happened. Without a second thought, Thor quickly got up and tackled his younger brother.

Loki dropped his book and shrieked in surprise. They both fell to the ground with a dull _THUD._ For a while, they both rolled around in the grass, wrestling with each other, each boy trying to get the upper hand. But because Thor was older and stronger and Loki was far smaller and thinner, Thor easily bested his brother.

Thor pinned Loki beneath him, his knee of his brother's chest and his hands keeping Loki's wrists above his head. Loki squirmed and struggled underneath him, but it only caused Thor to smirk.

"Thor—get—off!"

"Not until you apologize," stated Thor simply.

"For what?" cried Loki. "Stating the obvious—_gah_!" Thor pressed his knee harder into his brother's chest and Loki gasped. "You're—crushing—me!"

"Say you're sorry," said Thor firmly. Loki continued to struggle and gasp for a few moments until he finally caved.

"Alright—I-I'm sorry! Now—get off!"

Thor complied and rolled off his brother, positioning himself to lie next to him in the grass. Loki immediately started coughing and gasping in order to get his breath back. Thor ignored the dirty looks his brother kept shooting him and instead turned his attention to the sky.

It wasn't actually the sky, considering the fact that the orchard was indoors. The high ceiling of the palace had been jinxed for it to be transparent. Thor thought that it was nice to still feel the sunlight on his skin even though he wasn't actually outside. The false breeze bothered him, though. It just felt..._wrong_ to him.

"You—You—" Loki gasped, one of his hands rubbing his chest, the other pointing a shaky finger at his brother.

"Yes, yes I'm a terrible person, I know," Thor said sarcastically. He was about to tell Loki about how he really should spend less time by himself and more time with his friends (if he even had any) when something slithered across his hand.

Thor glanced to his right to see a green snake...which had just touched him. Thor scrambled up off the ground, standing and shaking his hand wildly as if that could get rid of the snake. From his spot on the ground, Loki looked up at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" asked the dark haired prince.

"There's a snake. A viper. Probably poisonous!" said Thor frantically, pointing at the snake. It started to move towards Loki. "Do not let it touch you! It will bite off your fingers!"

Loki cocked his head and reached out towards the small reptile. He picked it up in his hand and it coiled itself around his wrist.

"This little thing?" asked Loki, glancing up at Thor for confirmation. "This is nothing but a garden snake! They are completely harmless. Wait...," Loki paused, and a wicked grin slowly began to form on his face. "You're scared!"

"No I am not!" Thor denied quickly.

"Yes, you are! You're scared of a little snake!" sang Loki. The boy stood up and held out the snake in the direction of his brother, who backed away. "Oh no! Watch out, Thor, it might get you!" Loki laughed at Thor's frightened expression.

Thor moved around Loki to get to the stone bench where they had been previously sitting. Scooping up Loki's book, Thor held it up like a weapon.

"Don't make me hit you with this, Loki!" Thor threatened.

"Put my book down, Thor!" demanded Loki.

"Not until you put _that_ thing down!"

Loki sighed angrily and knelt down, slowly coaxing the snake off his wrist. Once it was back on the ground and had slithered away, Loki turned back to Thor.

"Are you satisfied?" asked Loki, standing and putting his hands on his hips.

"For now, yes," said Thor, lowering Loki's book.

"Than can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, brother?"

_"Gimme back my book!"_

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><p><strong>An: **As you must have figured out by now, I'm not the best of writers, but I promise things will get better. It takes me a while to warm up to writing in a new fandom. I hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **You think if I wished on a shooting star Marvel would give me this? Yes? Yes? ...No, you're probably right.

**A/n:** Wow! I hadn't expected such nice reviews in such little time! Thanks, you guys! I've got a major math test tomorrow, so this fanfiction is kind of my escape. That's why I'm updating so fast, FYI. I'm probably not going to be able to do so all the time, so bear with me! In this snippet, you get introduced into a new character OMFG. Now, I'm not all that knowledgeable on Norse mythology, but I _do_ know that Fulla was Frigga's favorite maid. And, dear children, you can take that to the bank.

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><p>"And then, out of the deep and dark mists, came a skeletal hand which dragged the mighty warrior back into Hel's domain."<p>

Out of all the things that their Mother's maid, Fulla, could do, Thor had to say that telling scary stories was the best. Each and every word that came out of her mouth wove a wonderfully horrific tale filled with action, jealousy, and fear; three elements that Thor absolutely loved in stories. But the way Fulla told them was different. She told them with a special kind of magic which kept Thor and Loki hanging on each word that graced her lips.

Fulla hadn't originally been sent to Thor's quarters to tell ghost stories. She had been sent to put him to bed. (He really didn't need anyone to put him to bed, he just really, _really_ liked Fulla.) He had already been begging for a story when Loki had come in.

Loki had been put to bed an hour before, but Loki had always been restless when it came to sleep. He was always complaining about something—the room being too hot or too cold, the bed being too lumpy or too hard. He would always ask Fulla to come and "fix" it for him, but Thor knew that Loki liked Fulla telling stories as much as he did.

Because of them both begging Fulla to tell them just one story, she gave in and agreed. One gruesome story later, Thor was leaning against the backboard of his bed, already tucked underneath his blankets, yet he still felt his blood run cold. Loki, who was sitting cross-legged next to his feet, shivered. Thor briefly wondered if it was because of the story or his attire—no matter how small the royal tailors would make his nightshirt, it always would be too big and hang loose around his shoulders.

Fulla, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiled and stood. She was quite tall for a woman. Her golden hair was so long that it reached her waist. Her brown eyes were almond shaped. She was quite pretty; of course she would be. She was Frigga's head maid and best friend.

"Alright, that is enough for tonight," Fulla concluded. "I do not wish to anger my Mistress by filling your heads with such stories."

"What?" cried Loki. "That can't be the end! You simply cannot just leave us hanging like that, Fulla!"

"I can and I will," said Fulla. She nudged Loki, gently scooting him off Thor's bed. "Come along now, Master Loki. Leave your brother to his sleep."

"But—But Fulla," Loki started to protest, but Fulla took his small wrist in her hand and pulled him along out the door.

"Hush, child. Goodnight, Master Thor," said Fulla, turning her attention to him before blowing out the candle and closing the chamber door softly behind her.

"Fulla, are there really people nailed to burning pillars in the underworld?" Thor heard Loki ask outside his door.

Thor shivered. He, being the first born son of Odin, of course would never die. But, on the small chance that he did, he sure didn't want to end up anywhere _near_ Hel and her sick land.

_I am the almighty Thor_, Thor thought as he snuggled deeper into his bed. _I shall never die. Yet if I do, I shall die a warrior's death and greet all my friends in Valhalla, for they must have died long before me. _Thor calmed his nerves with this statement and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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><p><em>He was running. His feet were slapping against the stone ground, yet he heard no sound. All he could hear was his heart pounding inside of himself, beating as fast as a drum. A violent wind <em>_whipped around his body, the cold air slapping his face. No matter how hard he pleaded with it, it __seemed to be holding him back. He was running, but going no where._

_ The darkness around him seemed to be choking him. Even if he could run, where could he go? There was hardly any light in the cavern. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. _

_ But he could see them._

_ They rose up out of the ground, one by one. Each of them burst forth out of the ground, using their hands to climb out of their dirt graves. They were all dressed in torn battle armor; as if these were the very skeletons of the mighty warriors who had died in battle. _

_ They clawed at his ankles, wrapping cold and sharp fingers around his legs. He tried to shake them off, but the more he fought, the tighter they seemed to hold on. The ground became like quicksand. _

_ The skeletons pulled him down to his knees in the muck. He tried to scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. He suddenly lost control of his limbs, helpless against the dead, who pulled him down, down, down..._

_ The darkness enveloped him. The hands of the skeletons were gone, and he seemed to be floating in the nothingness. _

_ That is, until he saw the thing that frightened him more than anything. His family, lying dead on the ground. His Mother had a pool of blood next to her head, his Father had a deep gash cut into his throat, and the spear was still sticking out of Loki's chest. All their eyes were open and unseeing, staring into the darkness which he soon receded into._

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><p>"No!"<p>

Thor sat bolt upright in his bed. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. He was in a cold sweat, his chest heaving with each and every breath he took. Thor's eyes wildly scanned his room, looking for any trace of the skeletons or dead bodies of any sort. When he found none, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Thor then took on the task of untangling himself from his bedsheets. He must have been tossing and turning, because his legs were wrapped up fairly tightly. The prince was eventually able to untangle himself, throwing the sheets to the ground as he did so.

Thor didn't bother to pick them up—he instead slid off the side of his bed until his feet touched the ground. His feet carried him across his room and out into the dimly lit hall.

At this time of night, there was hardly anyone still awake, save for the guards. Something inside Thor wished that there were other people awake instead of just the guards and himself. At the moment, he wished that his Mother and Father to come out of their chambers and soothe him, tell him that they were indeed alive and it was all just a silly dream.

Something about that final image had scared him more deeply than the skeleton warriors of Hel ever could. Seeing his them all dead—his Mother, his Father, and Loki...It frightened him. Even though he knew now that it was just a dream, he had to reassure himself.

Thor tiptoed across the hall to his parent's chamber. He raised his fist to knock, but then decided against it, thinking of the next best thing. The blonde god took a step closer and pressed his ear against the golden door.

The familiar sound of his Father's deep snores filled his ear. That was all Thor needed to hear before pulling away; as long as Odin was alive, he wouldn't let anything happen to Frigga. Thor knew that and ceased worrying about his parents.

Then, there was Loki.

Seeing the body of his dead brother somehow had the biggest effect on Thor. Perhaps it was the fact that Loki was littler than him, or simply that Loki was his little brother. Thor didn't know which it was; he only knew that when it came to Loki being in danger, the protectiveness inside of him spiked.

Thor turned and tiptoed further down the hall to his brother's room. Thor got up close and pressed his ear to the door like he did previously. Only, unlike before, Thor couldn't hear anything from on the other side of the door.

Thor's still unsettled mind broke out into a panic, conjuring up thoughts of those skeletal warriors behind that door with Loki. Without hesitation, Thor quickly opened the door of his brother's room and barged inside, preparing himself for a fight. However, he was both relieved and disappointed when he saw no sign of any monsters inside the chamber.

In the darkness, Thor could make out the small form of his brother. Loki was asleep, not bothered by Thor's sudden entrance. His raven hair was ruffled and unkempt, a sight that would have given their Mother a heart attack.

Something that Thor wasn't about to let Frigga have if she woke and found his bed empty.

Thor's eyes swept the room one last time, searching for any sign of a spear or skeleton. When he found neither, he turned and left Loki's chamber, hurrying back into his own before his Mother could wake.

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><p>Something was nudging his shoulder. Perhaps he had overslept once again, and Fulla was urging him to wake up? No, Fulla would have simply grabbed hold of his ankles and drug him out of bed. So who...?<p>

"Thor?"

It came out as simply a whisper, yet Thor recognized the voice almost instantly.

"Mmmm?" he hummed as a response, using great effort to open his eyes. It took them a moment to focus in the darkness. They locked with his brother's own emerald orbs, and Thor nearly jumped at how close Loki was.

Seeing the blonde's uneasiness, Loki quickly stepped backwards, away from Thor's bedside. Thor yawned and sat up, missing how the younger prince backed up again, porcelain cheeks tinted with a pink flush.

"I...I, uh...," Loki stuttered quietly, taking sudden interest in his bare feet.

"Fulla's story get to you as well?" guessed Thor, and Loki's head snapped upwards. His eyes were so wide that if Thor hadn't been so tired, he would have laughed.

"Yes," admitted Loki sheepishly, coming back over to the bedside. "What do you mean by 'as well'? Did she frighten you?"

"No," Thor lied, "but she has done so before." Thor shifted in his bed, making room for Loki.

The younger prince didn't hesitate to climb up into bed with his brother. Loki laid down next to Thor, and Thor unconsciously draped his arm around his brother's thin shoulders, pulling him closer.

"Are her stories always so frightening?" Loki asked, shifting to get comfortable.

"No," Thor replied thoughtfully, "she can tell other kinds. Ones that are adventurous, romantic, and sad; they just aren't as good as her horror stories."

Loki hummed softly in response and shut his eyes. "I think Fulla tells stories a bit _too_ well," he muttered into Thor's shoulder.

"I think that you are right," Thor agreed. He glanced at Loki; he had curled up into Thor's side, his face blissfully blank and his chest rising slowly up and down which each breath. "Goodnight, Loki," Thor murmured quietly, but he wasn't entirely sure if Loki had heard him.

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><p><strong>An:** Ah, the famous _Oh-God-I've-had-a-nightmare-please-help-make-it-go-away _scene. I've read this in so many other fandoms, but I've never tried actually writing one of my own. I put my own twist onto it, can you tell? (Fun fact: when I got a nightmare as a little kid, I would just go into my parents room and listen to them breathe. Is that weird?)

Anyway, I've been thinking of titleing these. The next one would be called, _In which Sif's hair gets cut off, Loki gets beat up, and Thor gets crushed under a rock. _xD IT ISN'T MY FAULT I SWEAR. BLAME THE PLOT BUNNIES.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Sigh...I wish I owned this so badly...

**A/n:** Here's another chapter. I swear, if I fail my math final, I'm totally blaming Marvel for making this movie take over my mind...My God, you guys are so amazing. I love reading you're reviews so much. :D They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Ok, in my world, **Loki never shaved Sif's head, he only gave her like a pixie cut.** And her hair reacts like Repunzel from Tangled and turns from blonde to brown when cut. BECAUSE I CANNOT WORK WITH A BALD SIF, IS THAT SO WRONG? Also, Loki **hasn't discovered what his magic can do yet until now**. GET IT? GOOD.

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><p>Fulla was in a good mood. The chores which she normally fell subject to were being done by other maids today. Her Mistress had been gracious enough to give Fulla the day off from her tiring work which normally consumed her day. Now the golden-haired maid was on her way to her chambers, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep for the next thousand years.<p>

However, when she turned into the hall which overlooked the courtyard, she saw a sight which ruined her mood: Thor and Loki fighting. Or rather, Thor plumbing his younger brother into a pulp.

Hiking up her skirt, Fulla turned and ran down the hall in the opposite direction. She traveled as quickly as she dared down the marble steps, but than ran once more across the courtyard to reach the two children.

When she reached them, the first thing the maid did was grab the back of Thor's shirt collar, pulling him off Loki. Thor's small fists were still flying out, as if punching the air would somehow pain Loki even further.

"Stop it!" Fulla demanded. She drug him backwards and pinned his arms to his sides in an effort to cease his struggling. The blonde prince complied, his blue eyes turning upwards to look at Fulla.

Satisfied that Thor was at least calm enough to quit punching blindly at nothing, Fulla turned her attention to Loki. The younger prince had scrambled up off the ground while she had been restraining Thor. Blood was flowing from his split lip, and there was already a dark bruise beginning to form on his left eye. Fulla knelt down next to Loki, gently taking hold of his shoulder to hold him still while she began to wipe the blood from his lip with her sleeve.

Both princes began to talk simultaneously, their voices blending together in such a way that Fulla couldn't focus on either one of them.

"Fulla, Thor started hitting me for no reason!"

"Fulla, Loki's blaming me for something I did not do!"

"Be quiet!" snapped Fulla, effectively shushing them both for the moment. Fulla drew her hands away from Loki and glanced between the two of them. "Why were you two fighting?"

Fulla realized her mistake when they both started up again. She sighed angrily and stood, clapping her hands over each boy's mouth.

"Alright," said Fulla, "I am going to let you both go. But I want you to tell me—one at a time—why you were fighting." When Fulla removed her hands, Thor was the first one to speak.

"Fulla, it's all Loki's fault! He got mad at Sif and cut her hair short! It isn't blonde anymore! She's in her chambers _crying_ and he did it because he thought it would be _funny_—"

"It _is_ funny," Loki cut in. "And besides, she had it coming."

"You are simply jealous that Sif is a better fighter than you," Thor said sharply.

"She is not!"

"Is to."

"Is not!"

"Is to!"

_"Is not!"_

_ "Is to!"_

"Silence!" shouted Fulla. Both children promptly shut their mouths. The maid now turned to younger of the two. "Master Loki, did you cut off Sif's hair?" The porcelain skinned boy nodded once. "Why?"

"Because the only thing he can do right is ruin other people's lives!" Thor cut in loudly.

"Shut _up_, you prat!" Loki yelled.

Before Fulla or Loki had even seen him move, Thor had punched his brother squarely in the jaw. Loki got knocked off his feet and fell to the ground. Fulla quickly wrapped her arm around Thor's chest, keeping him from pouncing on his brother.

"You see?" cried Loki from his spot on the ground. He was cradling his jaw with one hand, the other being used to point accusingly at Thor. "He hit me! And I didn't do _anything_!"

Fulla really didn't want to get in the middle of this. At least, not now, not today. Not on her day off. Where was her Mistress? Why couldn't Frigga handle this in the way that all mother's could?

Fulla opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she got cut off once more. A tall, lean man with messy light brown hair came rushing into the courtyard. He was dressed in armor, as most respectable men in the palace were, and an archer's bow was slung over his shoulders.

"Lady Fulla!" he called, coming to a stop next to the maid. He doubled over and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

"Ull!" said Fulla, surprised to see the god. Despite his thin and frail look, Ull was the god of archery. He rarely ever stopped training, and was a bit antisocial due to this. "What's wrong?"

"The Valkyries...," panted Ull. Fulla figured he must have run quite far and fast, considering that Ull wasn't exactly out of shape. "They broke into the ale vault."

Fulla's shoulder's slumped. "Again? Does Saga not understand that she needs to put a lock on it?"

Ull stood up straight and held up his hands in a gesture of defense. "Do not blame me, she merely sent me to fetch you!"

"Right," sighed Fulla. She had completely forgotten about the two brothers until Thor had squirmed. Fulla realized that she still had her arm around him and she let go. But what to do with them now?

She couldn't leave them with Ull; he would most likely hand them both a sword and tell them to sort it out on their own. And Fulla really didn't want to explain to the All-Father about how the Valkyries had suddenly stopped doing their job of taking the dead who were worthy to Valhalla.

"I have to go with Ull, but I will be back. By the time I return, I will expect you two to have sorted this mess out, else I will get your Mother involved. Understand?"

"Yes, Fulla," both princes chorused in unison.

"Good," she said, and turned to Ull. "Lead the way?" she offered, and he nodded. Together, they rushed out of the courtyard and away from the brothers.

Loki watched them leave, getting up from the ground. He absentmindedly rubbed his jaw, grateful that it didn't hurt as much anymore. He turned his eyes away from where Fulla and Ull had gone and set them on Thor.

For a brief second, they both looked at each other.

Then Thor lunged at Loki, who screamed and ran further into the courtyard. Thor quickly retaliated and chased after his brother.

"Get back here, you twerp!" Thor shouted.

"It was just a joke!" reasoned Loki. "I already said I was sorry!"

"Her hair is brown, Loki! Brown!"

"So beating me will make it golden again?"

"No," Thor admitted, "but it will make me feel better."

Loki ran into the older part of the courtyard. No one came here anymore. The rock and marble was so old that it was starting to decay and fall apart. Loki hid behind a statue of one of the Norns (he could hardly ever tell them apart in context), his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Oh come now, brother," Loki heard Thor say. He wasn't far from his hiding spot and panic rose up in Loki's chest. Why was _he_ always the one who Thor wanted to beat up? "It isn't any fun if you run and hide."

_Maybe not fun for _you_,_ Loki thought darkly, his panic twisting into anger. _I'd like to see you get crushed for once._

Suddenly, a white hot wave of pain hit Loki full-force, starting in his right hand and pulsing outwards. The raven haired boy gasped and whipped out his hand—the top layer of skin was rubbed raw, small whips of smoke rising from his fingertips. And as suddenly as the pain had started, it instantly stopped, now being replaced by a soothing tingling feeling.

"What the—?"

Loki had been so occupied by his hand that he didn't hear the cracking of the stone above. He did, however, hear his brother's cry of pain from the other side of the statue.

"Thor?" Loki asked, hesitantly coming out from behind the stone. His blonde brother was lying on the ground, unconscious, a large chunk of the statue—the head, Loki realized—had crumbled off the statue's neck and had landed on him. "Thor!"

Loki panicked again, rushing over to his brother. His hand still felt oddly tingly but he had completely forgotten about that by now. He knelt down next to Thor, shaking his brother and trying to get him to wake up.

"Oh no, no, please don't be dead," Loki pleaded quietly.

"...L...Loki...," Thor breathed, his eyes opening slightly, revealing little slits of blue.

"Yes, brother? I'm here," Loki replied quickly, leaning down closer to Thor as if he might miss what his brother said if he got too far away.

"...My...leg, Loki..."

"What?" Loki drew back and looked at his brother's limbs; the head of the statue was directly on Thor's left leg. "Oh; hang on." Loki tried to move the rock, but it wouldn't budge.

"Loki," Thor groaned, his voice louder as his consciousness returned. "My leg, Loki."

"I know, but the stone is too heavy! I can't...," Loki trailed off, this time trying to roll the rock. It still didn't move at all, and Loki bit his lip.

"My leg! My leg is on fire, Loki!"

"Master Thor? Master Loki?" Fulla's calls were like an answer to his prayers.

"Over here, Fulla! Hurry!" shouted Loki.

Fulla came rushing around the bend, her long hair whipping out behind her.

"What in the name of the Almighty are you doing over here—Oh good gracious!" Fulla cried when she saw them. She didn't waste any time to stop and ask what happened. Fulla bent down and lifted the stone off of Thor, throwing it aside like it was merely a pebble.

Thor groaned at the relief of pressure, and Loki cringed when he saw his brother's limb. It was bloody and sticking out in an odd angle, clearly broken. Loki only got to look at it for a moment, for Fulla had scooped Thor up and begun to take him back to the palace.

Loki trailed along slowly behind, his eyes returning back to his right hand. He wiggled his fingers; the tingling feeling was gone, and the skin looked normal again. The boy shook it off, but for some reason, he had feeling that _he_ had somehow caused the statue's head to hit Thor.

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><p>Thor was in a lot of pain. Well, why shouldn't he be? His leg had been snapped in half, the bone shattered. At least, that is what he overheard Eir telling his Mother. Eir, his Mother's healer, had pretty eyes; that's what Thor's hazy mind had told him. Her eyes were dark blue, like little sapphires. Her hair was light auburn like the cooling embers after a fire.<p>

Thor blinked rapidly as his mind became more conscious of what he was seeing and hearing. He was in his bed, his Mother sitting on the edge, looking down on him with a sad little smile. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Why is it that your hair can never stay consistent?" asked Frigga, resting her cool hand on his sweaty brow. Thor shut his eyes, wishing away the pain. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than before, I suppose," Thor muttered. His Mother chuckled softly.

"Your leg was crushed underneath that stone," said Frigga, removing her hand.

"As long as you stay off of it for a day, it will heal right up," said Eir, pressing a cold, wet washcloth on his forehead. "My healing spell takes time, and it does not react well with the active subject."

"So I have to stay cooped up in here all day?" asked Thor, opening his eyes and lifting his head.

"Correct," Eir replied.

Thor groaned, letting his head fall back into his pillow.

"A few hours of bed rest won't kill you, young Master," stated Eir, "it might do you well." She backed away from the bed and curtseyed to Frigga. "Now if you excuse me, I must go check on Master Loki." Frigga nodded and Eir stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Thor had completely forgotten about Loki. Loki, who had been there when he was getting crushed. Loki, who he had been chasing. Loki, who had cut off Sif's hair...Thor sat up, the wet cloth fell into his lap, and suddenly it all came out in a rush.

"Mother, Loki cut off Sif's hair and I—"

Frigga raised her hand, silencing him. "I know," she said simply.

"How can you be so calm?" demanded Thor. "Loki should be flogged and ban from Asgard for what he did to Sif!"

"And remember you got angry and unleashed a lightening storm which destroyed half the city? I did not flog or banish you then."

Thor blushed. "That was different!"

"Not hardly, no." Frigga collected the cloth, folded it multiple times, and placed it in her lap. She looked back at him. "Loki is still young. He doesn't know the differences between right and wrong yet. He looks to you for guidance. You are his brother."

"Well I do not want him to be mine!" said Thor, crossing his arms over his chest. "I hate him!"

"No you don't," said his Mother.

"Yes, I do," Thor insisted.

"_No_, you _don't_!" Frigga suddenly shouted. Thor balked, instinctively scooting backwards in his bed to get away from his Mother. He had never seen Frigga loose her temper before. His Mother shut her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Thor swallowed and relaxed once more against his bed and the queen opened her eyes. She smiled faintly and her hand returned to his forehead.

Frigga began smoothing back Thor's hair, and the prince leaned into the touch. "Try to understand that Loki is only just learning about magic. He still doesn't know how to control his yet."

Thor's brow furrowed. "His magic?" Thor repeated. "Are you saying that _Loki_ caused the statue to crumble on me?"

His Mother withdrew her hand and folded them in her lap. "Well _he_ thinks so. He is so overcome with guilt that he won't allow anyone inside his chambers, and Eir really needs to check his wounds." Frigga paused, and than asked, "what do you think?"

"About him causing my injury?" Thor asked, and his Mother nodded in confirmation. "There is no way that someone like Loki could cause that. The courtyard was already falling apart; he didn't do anything but run and try and reason with me."

"Than as soon as you can walk I want you to go apologize."

"But—" Thor started to protest.

"No 'but's," said Frigga, rising from the bed and leaning over to kiss him on his forehead. "Now get some rest."

Thor sighed heavily and agreed, watching his Mother leave. He was supposed to apologize to Loki? Thor didn't know if he could do that. Many times, Loki had apologized to him for things that sometimes he never even did...And most of the times, it was when Thor was beating him up, so that hardly made it heartfelt.

The young prince sighed again and pressed his face into his pillow.

* * *

><p><em>Knock knock knock.<em>

"Please, Master Loki," Eir begged from the other side of his door. Loki only ignored her, burring his face deeper into his pillow. He wondered if he could suffocate himself this way.

"Go away!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the pillow.

He had locked himself inside his room for a day in a half, not allowing anyone else to enter. He didn't want anyone else to enter; he just wished he could curl up on his bed and simply _die_. His black eye was throbbing, and his guilt was weighing down his shoulders, occasionally causing the illusion of not being able to breathe.

Sif had already forgiven Loki, but he didn't care about Sif. He could never talk to nor see Sif again and he would be fine. Sif didn't like him and he didn't like Sif—it was a sort of unspoken agreement which they had between each other.

Thor was another story. No matter how much Loki avoided him, Thor would always be his brother. Thor probably hated him by now, anyways. Loki didn't know what he did or how he did it, but somehow he just knew that he made that statue's head fall. Thor probably suspected him as well and was already ratting him out to their Mother. Loki half expected Frigga to come barging in, yelling at him for destroying her courtyard. (_Even though it was already falling apart_, Loki thought.)

_Knock knock knock._

"I said go away, Eir!" Loki shouted again, this time lifting his head to yell over his shoulder. He pressed his face into his pillow once more, not hearing the soft open and close of his door. Loki jumped when the spot on his bed dipped down with the weight of his brother. The younger prince took one glance at Thor, misinterpreted a smirk as a scowl, and slammed his head into his pillow again.

"If you keep doing that, you will rip your pillow in half," Thor commented lightly, shifting so that he was lying down next to his brother, his arms underneath his head.

"Why are you here?" asked Loki into the pillow.

"I'm...," Thor hesitated, no knowing exactly how to put it. "I'm here to apologize."

That got Loki's attention. His head snapped up out of his pillow as he locked eyes with his brother. Thor nearly cringed when he saw Loki's black eye, and his ruffled hair seemed to show how many times he had buried and reburied his face inside of his pillows.

"Apologize?" repeated Loki. "For what? I'm the one who cut off Sif's hair and...and I think I knocked over that stone as well. I'm not sure how, but..."

The dark haired boy trailed off, and Thor raised two fingers and prodded the bruised skin right under Loki's eye. The blonde did it gently, yet his brother still winced.

"I'm apologizing for that," said Thor.

"But I deserved it. You said it yourself; Sif still is upset and I probably did make her cry and—"

"Loki," Thor cut off his brother.

"I thought you hated me," Loki concluded softly, his eyes avoiding his brother's.

Thor thought he felt his heart break. Loki looked so small and vulnerable. Thor couldn't help but pull his brother towards him and wrap his arms around Loki in a hug. Loki made no move to pull away, and Thor rested his cheek on top of his brother's head.

"No Loki," said Thor firmly, "I don't hate you. I never have and I never will."

"You promise?" Loki questioned quietly, blinking back tears.

"I promise."

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><p><strong>An: **Question: why can I only finish these stories with them in each other's arms? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Anyways, I see Frigga as a bit of a perfectionist, so that's why she kinda-sorta freaks out over Thor and Loki's hair. xD lol Awww mini-angsty-Loki is so adorable...


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** If I owned this, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

**A/n: **This was originally set to happen later on in the story, like when Loki was a teenager, but than I was like, _no way, I want Frigga to cuddle with little-Loki_, so now I'm posting it early. And yes, the original goddess Frigga was a Seer. I did my research, thank you very much.

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><p>Frigga loved what she could do. Being a Seer, she could look into the future and tell things that were going to happen hours, days, months or occasionally even years from now. It was quite useful, being the wife of an all-powerful king and being a Seer as well. Whenever her Husband was in doubt, she could always steer him in the right direction. She could help him make the right decisions for Asgard and it's people.<p>

The goddess also loved being a mother. Not only to a kingdom, but to too small boys who she could call her own. Despite the fact that she hadn't given birth to either of them, the queen took comfort to knowing that neither boy's real mother's would not be returning to claim them anytime soon.

As far as they knew, they were both her children. Frigga hated lying to them, but it was the only way. Wasn't it far more decent to tell a small, white lie than knowing the ugly truth?

Yet tonight, all Frigga could look at was the ugly and horrific truth. Like most of her visions, this one had come to her during sleep.

It was a warm and clear night when the queen had woken up in her bed, screaming. Two of the guards came running into her and her Husband's room, not bothering to knock. They must have feared the worst—Odin was at a meeting with some of the other gods, and Frigga had requested to be dismissed early in order to rest. She had never really been needed in those meetings; she wasn't the king. She welded no power in front of the Council of the Almighty. She had been granted her wish and was allowed to return to her chambers early.

She had just only fallen asleep when a powerful vision took her captive in it's icy and terrifying grasp.

Frigga shooed away the guards, saying that it was only a nightmare. No, she didn't need Odin. Yes, she would just like to be left alone. So the guards glanced at one another, hesitant to leave their queen alone, but they eventually obeyed.

Frigga pressed her hand over her chest and breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. It didn't seem to be working, for what she had seen in her vision had frightened her more than anything.

She had seen Thor and Loki—her two sweet, innocent, lovely children. She had seen them, not as boys but as men; fully grown, fully matured men. And they had been fighting each other to the death, Thor wielding Mjolnir, Loki armed with her Husband's staff.

It was the thing that Frigga had feared most ever since Odin had returned to her, holding in his arms a Frost Giant baby. At first, she had been outraged—how _dare_ he bring that _thing_ into their house and home! How dare he assume that she could—_would_—take it under her wing and raise it as her own!

But the same had happened with Thor. She had learned that her Husband had an affair, and his lover was pregnant. She was so _angry_, but she wanted a child so _badly_ that she didn't banish his lover as long as the baby would be hers. The woman had agreed, handing the blue-eyed babe to her the second it was out of her womb.

When Odin showed her how easily the Front Giant child could be disguised as their own, she still wasn't convinced. True, they could magically disguise his outer appearance, and he _was_ such a tiny little thing...Frigga was still hesitating when the small child had blinked it's sleepy eyes open. It's green eyes, not red. Frigga couldn't help but let the motherly instinct take over and she finally agreed.

Her heart was still racing as the goddess threw back the covers from her bed and practically ran out of her room. What a strange sight it must have been, seeing the Queen of Asgard dash out into the hall in nothing more than her nightgown, the curls of her hair flying out behind her.

Frigga slipped into her youngest son's room, closing the door louder than necessary. This disturbance woke Loki, who slowly opened his eyes and blinked owlishly at her.

"Mother?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in his bed.

Before she knew what she was doing, Frigga had crossed the room in three longs strides. When she reached his bed, she sat on the edge of it and pulled Loki into her lap, holding him close. The boy froze in the sudden action, but he soon relaxed into the embrace.

"Mother, are you alright?" asked Loki again, his voice clearer this time as he began to fully wake up.

"I love you," she said in a response. She clutched him tighter, as if loosing her grip would mean losing him. "I love you _so much_."

"...I love you, too, Mother," Loki answered. His voice was questioning but she didn't care.

"I love you," Frigga whispered into his hair, letting the tears that she didn't know she was holding back fall.

Frigga hated what she could do. She could see into the future, yet could never change what was going to happen. It hurt her to see her son's fight. It hurt her to see Loki in so much emotional pain.

But most of all, it hurt knowing that she couldn't hold her little Loki in her arms forever.

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><p><strong>An: **Sheesh, it almost pains me to write something this short! Please review and tell me if I'm right for posting it so early in the game!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this! That's why I'm writing this!

**A/n:** Thank you guys so much for all the wonderful reviews! You totally make my day. I actually was running low on inspiration until _flyfloyd _reviewed and said that she wanted a Lost!Loki story and everything just clicked into place. :D I owe this chapter to her.

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><p><em>It isn't <em>my_ fault Ull can't take a joke,_ Loki thought to himself bitterly as he kicked up the dead leaves off the ground. They were sent spiraling into the air, floating back down onto the ground peacefully. The young prince wished that he was kicking Ull instead of the leaves.

What Loki had done had started out as a simple and innocent gesture of learning. He had only just started to learn how to use his magic, so he was still inexperienced. This is what he tried to explain to Ull, but the archery god would have none of it.

Loki had turned himself invisible, yet hadn't been aware of it until he had passed a group of guards. Normally, they would acknowledge the prince with nod of courtesy, but when they did nothing, Loki got curious. So naturally he came up with a hypothesis and a theory. In order to test said theory, he needed a unsuspecting victim.

Ull, who had been walking on the Rainbow Bridge, seemed like the perfect target for Loki. Ull had just returned from one of his training sessions in one of the other realms, so he was already worn out and easy to scare.

Now, Loki had never been allowed to be on the Rainbow Bridge by himself before—whenever he asked, Frigga always said it was because he was much too young and small. Perhaps it was the thrill of disobeying his Mother, or simply the hilarity of the joke, but as soon as Loki had popped up and scared Ull, the boy became visible once more.

Loki didn't care. He was laughing too hard. Ull had the most ridiculously surprised expression on his face. The brunette had been so shocked that he jumped backwards, almost falling off the Bifrost himself. But he didn't fall.

However, his arrows weren't as lucky. When he had jumped, his quiver of arrows had slipped off his shoulder and had fallen into the dark and mysterious abyss below them.

Ull had been outraged, suddenly shouting at the small boy with vigor that Loki didn't even know that Ull possessed. The elder god scolded Loki for scaring him and for making him loose his arrows. When Loki asked what was so important about those particular arrows, Ull launched into a full-on rant about how his arrows were magical and how nothing could ever replace them. How when he used said arrows, anything Ull aimed at got directly hit.

How Loki would now have to go to his cottage in the middle of the woods right outside of Asgard and retrieve his spare quiver and bring it back. When Loki protested, Ull actually _threatened_ him and said that it would serve as corporal punishment.

Loki seriously considered just standing the god up and not ever returning with his precious arrows, but Heimdall had observed their fight, and Loki just knew that the guardian would rat him out to his Father if he didn't follow Ull's orders.

"'They're _magic_ arrows, Loki'," the prince muttered to himself, quoting what Ull had told him previously. "'They can make me hit anything and everything I want!' Pfft. It makes him sound like he has bad aim..."

The boy crossed his arms over his chest as he walked further into the forest. From here, he could see the palace walls; the golden landmark towered high above the tips of the trees. Loki had no idea where Ull's cottage was, or if he was even smart enough to build one. At this point, he was basically just wandering around, thinking of ways to get back at Ull.

Or, at least he was, until he heard a familiar sound: the cawing of a raven. And not just any raven; one of his Father's ravens.

Their names were Hugin and Munin. They sat perched on either side of Odin's throne, staring down at everything and everyone that entered the Great Hall.

Loki never understood why his Father needed them. Multiple times, he had asked their importance, but he had often been denied the answer. But once, his Mother had told him that they were apart of keeping the peace of the Nine Realms.

How could two birds keep _peace_? The birds didn't keep the peace. Odin, the almighty All-Father, kept the peace. As far as Loki was concerned, all those birds ever did was stare and occasionally caw at him. Loki recognized the particular caw as Munin's.

Loki had never seen them leave the side of the throne before. Perhaps that was why he got curious and decided to follow Munin.

The bird flew deeper into the forest and Loki nearly had to run in order to keep up with it. The sea of trees only went on for so long, that much the prince knew. At one point, the forest simply ended and if you weren't careful, you might fall right off Asgard and end up in one of the other nine realms.

So why was his Father's bird flying to the end of the kingdom?

* * *

><p>"Thor, have you seen Loki?"<p>

The blonde prince was currently lying on a bench in the courtyard, lost in a world of his own. He was blowing puffs of air from his hand and onto a butterfly. It was trying in vain to get closer to him, but kept getting pushed back by the small burst of wind.

Sif scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Thor," she tried again, louder this time. "Thor! _THOR!_"

Thor jumped, being snapped from his daydream so suddenly. He sat up and shooed the butterfly away.

"Sif, why are you yelling? I'm right here, you know," said Thor innocently. Sif nearly clapped her hand to her forehead.

"I have been trying to get your attention, that was why I was yelling!"

"Well you have it now."

Sif sighed, her arms dropping to her sides. She unconsciously reached up to twirl her hair around her finger. However, she was reminded that her hair had been cut short when her hand met air. Thor noticed her disappointment.

"Are you still upset?" he asked. Sif shook her head, the new spikes of her hair swaying along with her.

"No, I've gotten over it," replied Sif. "In fact, I rather like it being shorter. It doesn't get in my face anymore."

Thor scoffed. "Right, well I'll be sure to tell Loki that he did you a kindness by nearly shaving you bald."

"Shut up, it isn't that bad," snapped Sif. "Oh! I almost forgot. Your Mother wants to know if you have seen Loki."

Thor shook his head. "No, not since this morning. Why?"

Sif pursed her lips. "She's panicking. Apparently, no one has seen him at all since this morning; not even the guards. Ull said that he sent Loki to go and get his extra set of arrows in his cottage, and it's almost sundown and he still hasn't returned."

"Well haven't they checked the cottage?" questioned Thor, raising an eyebrow.

Sif nodded. "He's not there, and the arrows are still there. It was as if he wasn't there at all. Do you think he just ran off?"

"No," replied Thor, standing. "Loki wouldn't do something like that. He may be annoying, but he is not stupid."

So where would his brother have gone? Concern started to build up in Thor's chest. Loki was still too young to be out on his own like that. It wouldn't be hard for someone to sneak up behind him and—

"We have to look for him," said Thor, the words spilling out of his mouth before he knew they had even formed.

"I thought you might say that," said Sif, nodding. "Come on. Let's go ask Heimdall if he knows where he is."

And so they made their way through the palace to the Bifrost, passing by bustling guards and one hectic Frigga, who was pacing back and forth in the throne room. When they passed, Thor considered stopping and trying to comfort his Mother, but his Father was already trying.

"Darling, I'm sure he is fine—" Odin tried but got cut off.

"But what if he isn't? Oh, he's so small...Not to mention young! He's only a child and hasn't been familiarized with the whole city yet! What if he's lost? What if someone has taken him? Ooh, if something happens to him, I'll just die! But nothing shall happen, as long as I have a say in it! Double the guards! Triple them, even! What was Ull thinking anyway, sending Loki of all people to fetch his arrows? If Loki doesn't come back, I'll wring Ull by that skinny neck of his! Oh, my poor little Loki..."

Thor raised his eyebrows at Sif and she mouthed "Wow" back. They continued passed the throne room and out the palace doors.

When they reached the Rainbow Bridge, Heimdall was standing stock as ever, his blank expression not changing upon their arrival.

"Heimdall, we need your help," said Sif. "Loki has gone missing, and—"

"You wish to know where he is," Heimdall cut her off.

"Yes," said Thor, "can you see him?"

The gatekeeper tilted his head down, than up slightly in what Thor guessed would be a nod. "I can. He still is in the forest. The guards are not far from finding him, but he has already found someone else."

Thor's heart leapt into his throat.

"Who?"

"One of the Three," replied Heimdall cryptically. He became silent after that, and didn't answer Sif and Thor's many questions about who 'the Three' were.

* * *

><p>Loki didn't know how long he had been following Munin. The bird had lead him deeper into the forest, far past where Ull's cottage must have been. It was dark now and Loki feared that he would get attacked and than eaten by wolves.<p>

That is, until Munin lead him into a clearing. The dark bird nearly blended in with the clear night sky above, and for a brief moment Loki lost sight of him. But in the moon's soft glow, he could see another figure there, it's back turned to him.

Munin appeared again, landing on the figure's outstretched arm. The person stroked Munin's head with the tip of their finger. Loki frowned, confused. Munin was his Father's bird. What was this person doing with him?

"Hey!" called Loki. He seemed to have frightened the person. They whirled around quickly, and Loki's breath caught in his throat.

The person's eyes were beautiful. He couldn't tell what color they were—blue, green, yellow, red...All the colors of the rainbow seemed to be pulled together, shifting with each other like a kaleidoscope.

If he thought about it later, Loki would remember the details which he could only just make out in the darkness—a small, dainty, defined figure, long hair, and perfectly chiseled facial features. Clearly female.

If he thought harder, Loki would remember the barely audible sound of her gasp.

And if he thought even harder, almost to the point of pain, he would remember hearing the tiniest tinkling of a bell before he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>When Loki woke, he was in his bed back at the palace. How he had gotten there, he didn't know. All he could remember was chasing after Munin and <em>those eyes<em>...

"Loki!" cried Frigga. She had only just opened the door to his room when her son had opened his eyes. She was instantly at his bedside, pulling the boy into a hug.

"Mother...you're crushing...me," Loki managed to choke out, his Mother's vice-like grip cutting off his breath. Frigga immediately let go, and Odin walked into the room next, Thor at his heels.

"You're awake!" said Thor cheerfully as he and his Father walked over to Loki's bedside.

"Where did you leave to?" Frigga demanded.

"I was just going to Ull's cottage like he told me to—"

"Don't ever listen to anything Ull says ever again!" said Frigga quickly. "You had me and your Father worried sick! You're lucky that the guards found you when they did. Otherwise, you would have been out there longer and..." Frigga trailed off and pulled Loki back into her arms.

"...M...Mother..."

"I'll let you breathe in a minute, I promise," Frigga reassured him, not letting go this time.

"We were all worried about you, son," said Odin sincerely. He put his hand on Frigga's shoulder and the queen let Loki go. She stood and smiled.

"I'm just glad you're safe. Now I've got to go call off all the rest of the guards...," the queen muttered, turning and heading out of the room, her husband at her side. Only Thor was left in the room with his brother.

"If you run off again," said Thor, "Mother will have your head when she catches you."

"Was it really _that_ bad?" asked Loki, cringing slightly.

Thor shrugged. "More or less. But what I want to know is where you were. Don't bother telling me that you went to get Ull's arrows, we both know that that is a lie. Heimdall said that you found someone; one of the Three."

Loki blinked. "What? I didn't find anyone. I only followed Munin into the forest and that's it."

Thor hummed, his lips pressing together in a straight line. Obviously the boy wasn't satisfied with this answer, but Loki wasn't about to tell him about the mysterious person and their eyes. In fact, the more he reasoned with himself, it seemed that they were only a hallucination...

...Yet he still couldn't get those eyes out of his head.

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><p><strong>An: **...I'm not proud of this chapter. I feel like my eyeballs just sort of threw up and this happened. I do, however, love Frigga and her awesome motherly-protective-ness. ^^ Plus, the last sentence sounds weird.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Marvel is being mean and still won't sell me this fandom!

**A/n:** I live in the Midwest. It has been raining for _four freaking days_. I blame that on this chapter. (Plus, me listening to _Glass of Water_ by Coldplay for too long. It's a good song, look it up.)

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><p>Thor loved the rain. Perhaps it was because he loved the soft sound it made when it hit the ground. Perhaps it was because he loved the slight chill that the small drops of water left on his skin. Or, perhaps, it was because he could control the rain, making it pour and drizzle whenever he wished.<p>

Thor had been practicing with his powers, causing the sky to open up and let a huge rainfall come down onto Asgard. He was outside the palace, enjoying the soft feel of the heaven's tears, when he heard his brother's voice above all the noise of the thundering skies above.

"Thor!"

The raven-haired boy was standing underneath the veranda, just outside of the palace walls. He was clutching a book nearly the size of him to his chest. When Thor saw him, he grinned.

"Loki! Join me, will you?" asked Thor, stepping closer and offering his hand to Loki. Loki glanced at his hand and than back at him, not moving an inch.

"Hardly. You need to knock it off before the rest of the city floods!" shouted Loki over the sound of the pour.

"Oh come now, I wouldn't do that, would I?" scoffed Thor, retracting his hand and crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you really believe me to be _that_ irresponsible?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Do you wish for me to answer that truthfully?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."

"But Loki," whined Thor, drawing out the the last syllable of his name and inflicting it up and down a few octaves. "You must try to live a little. All you ever do is sit inside with those books!"

"And you pick fights with people who you should leave be," Loki countered. "Now come on, Mother wants you back inside before you catch your death!"

Thor was about to walk inside the palace with his brother, but than got a idea. A wicked grin spread itself onto the elder prince's face as he shook his head, soaked blonde locks spraying out the water. Loki moved out of the way, as if worried that if touched by the water he would melt.

"If you want me," said Thor, stepping backwards further into the rain, "you will have to come and get me."

Loki frowned and set his shoulders. "Thor, I am being serious!"

"As am I."

"You want Mother to punish us both for being out here?"

"If you scared of getting wet—"

"I am not!" cried Loki.

"Than why are you standing there like a wench?" challenged Thor.

Loki opened and closed his mouth multiple times while Thor just stood there and grinned, watching his brother turn pink. Then Loki growled in frustration, held his book over his head like an umbrella, and stomped out into the rain.

True to his word, Thor didn't retreat as Loki approached him. But when he made to grab Thor's arm, the blonde moved at the last second. Apparently, Loki had been using more force than Thor had thought, because Loki shrieked and fell over into a puddle of mud.

The porcelain skinned boy sat there for a moment and blinked. His book had been thrown aside. The water soaked his hair, causing strands to be plastered to his face. The mud covered most of his clothes, and his mouth was still ajar in shock.

Thor couldn't help but burst out laughing. From his spot on the ground, Loki glared up at him.

"Shut up!" shouted Loki, but Thor kept laughing. Loki was about to shout at his brother, but then he got an idea of his own. Smirking, he stood and bent down to reach into the puddle. Loki scooped up a decent of mud in his hand and chucked it at Thor.

The blonde prince immediately stopped laughing when he got hit in the face by the mud. It was Loki who was laughing now.

"You...You should have seen your face...," the dark haired boy gasped between his hysterics, his arms clutching his sides.

"I only wish you could see yours!" said Thor, quickly scooping up some mud of his own and throwing it back at Loki.

When Loki got hit with the mud, he sputtered and tried to wipe it from his face the best he could. During this time, Thor began to mercilessly pelt his brother with the wet dirt.

"H-hey! No fair!" Loki protested.

"Not all things are fair in war, Loki," Thor informed him.

"At least let me clear my eyes first!"

Thor complied, watching as Loki finally got the mud out of his face. And as soon as the blonde was ready to throw another handful of mud, Loki suddenly vanished.

Thor was secretly envious of his brother's ability to turn invisible. He could do so many things which he normally wasn't allowed to do, like enter into the weapons vault or sneak out at night without being detected. And if Thor could turn invisible, he would use it in such a situation, and everything would be fine.

But since it was _Loki_ who was the one invisible and _not_ Thor, it immediately counted as it being against the rules.

"No fair, Loki! How can I hit you if I can't see you?" demanded Thor. He got hit in the back of his head with mud and he whirled around, hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother. He didn't see one.

"That's the point, idiot," said Loki. His voice had an echo, so it sounded like it was everywhere at once. "Not all things are fair in war, Thor."

Thor took a wild shot and threw some mud to his left. It hit Loki, causing him to become visible again. The boy blinked, as if unsure whether he was visible or not. When he got nailed by Thor once more, he decided that he was visible and just continued on like that.

Their fight went on for what felt like years. Eventually, when they were equally drenched with both water and mud, they collapsed on the ground, trying to regain their breath. By then, the rain had turned from a heavy pour to a light drizzle.

That was when Frigga walked out of the palace and saw them. She placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat loudly. Both boy's attention snapped over to her.

"The whole point of you coming inside was so that you wouldn't get soaked," said Frigga sternly. "Which of you wishes to tell me what happened?"

Thor and Loki exchanged glances before they both howled with laughter once more. Frigga sighed and shook her head before heading back into the palace, leaving her sons to laugh like the fools they both were.

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><p><strong>An: **...Because if you were a kid, you would totally start a mud fight with your brother, right?

Anyway, I found out something interesting the other day. So apparently, Tom Hiddleston is 3 years older than Chris Hemsworth, while in the movie, it's Chris who's supposed to be older than Tom. xD lol I don't know why I find that so funny, but I do. (...I really need a life...)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this or Adam Young. :(

**A/n: **Blame this chapter on me listening to _Fireflies_ by Owl City. God, that song is so freaking catchy...

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><p>Playing hide and seek with Loki was hard, Thor decided, as he roamed the nearly empty halls of the palace. Night was already upon them, and Mother would be angry if they broke their curfew.<p>

The blonde was already frustrated, mainly because of his brother's advantages. Loki was little, and could easily slip in and out of small places. Not only that, but the porcelain skinned boy could stand still and be quiet longer than Thor could.

Then, of course, there was the invisibility factor, but Thor had made Loki promise that he wouldn't use his magic during the game. At this point, however, Thor was almost certain that he had broken his promise.

Thor had literally searched everywhere—the throne room, the orchard, the courtyard, their rooms, the library, the kitchens...Any area where Loki liked to be, Thor had gone there and searched with no avail. The prince considered to just stop looking for his brother, but then Loki would call him a quitter, and he certainly was _not_ a quitter. Bet Thor wasn't about to admit defeat;and _especially_ not to _Loki_.

Thor sighed, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. At this point, he really didn't see any use of keeping the game going as long as Loki would win either way. He was about to call out to Loki and tell him that he won when he noticed something.

The doors to the library were open a tiny inch, when previously they had been shut air-tight. Someone must have opened them up and gone inside. A slow grin spread itself across the boy's face. Loki wasn't as clever as he thought!

Thor tiptoed closer to the library's doors, scared to even breathe. Loki always said that it was easy to find him whenever he hid; apparently, he lumbered around like a soldier forced to carry a heavy burden, while Loki moved as quietly as smoke. But this time, Thor wanted to be the one who surprised Loki. This time, it would be different.

And so the Asgardian prince took a deep breath and burst into the library, both doors flying backwards and hitting the walls with equally loud _BANG_s.

"HA! I found you, Loki! I knew you could not...," Thor quickly silenced himself when he found himself standing in the presence of not his brother but his Father.

The King had his back facing Thor. He was standing on the other side of the room, looking out the wall made of glass which overlooked the city. He didn't seem phased by Thor's sudden and dramatic entrance.

"Oh, hello Father," said Thor sheepishly. "I apologize, I did not mean to—"

"Thor," said Odin softly, "come here, will you?"

Thor cringed slightly, not wanting to get lectured about how he was not supposed to be barging into libraries. Yet he still obeyed, quickly walking over to stand by his Father's side at the window. Thor looked up at Odin; his single blue eye was not staring down at the city, but rather up at the sky.

"Tell me, Thor," Odin began, glancing down at his son, "when you look to the sky, what do you see?"

Thor looked up through the window. He couldn't see much—clouds were covering most of the sky. There was the occasional hole where he could see a tiny bit of the moonlight peeking through the blanket of clouds, but that was all.

"Uh...Nothing," replied Thor.

Odin hmmed softly. Thor wished Loki was there along with him; even in his young age, the dark haired boy was much better at answering their Father's cryptic questions then himself.

Thor watched as his Father waved his right arm. Almost as if someone was wiping them away from existence, the clouds instantly vanished from the sky, revealing the most brilliant night sky that Thor had ever seen.

"Now what do you see?" asked Odin.

"Stars," said Thor almost immediately, gazing up at the sky with large and innocent eyes. "Thousands of them."

True to his words, hundreds and thousands of newly gleaming stars now illuminated the night sky. The moonlight joined in on their radiance, casting the city aglow.

"And planets," added Odin.

"Really?"

"Yes, planets and galaxies and universes. They are all out there, right outside your window at night."

"Wow," breathed the prince. A smile began to weave it's way onto the King's face.

"One day, they will all be yours," he said offhandedly. Thor's eyes snapped over to him, still wide with wonder.

"Mine?" repeated Thor. "You can't possibly be serious, Father."

"Oh, but I am," said Odin firmly. "You will someday rule over them, just as I do."

"That's amazing!" said Thor brightly, turning his attention back onto the sky.

"It sure is, son," said Odin, putting his large hand on the boy's small shoulder. "It sure is."

The two were unaware of the pair of green eyes that had been watching the scene unfold. Loki withdrew his head from around the corner, a small frown appearing on his face.

Loki didn't know why Thor would be the one inheriting the whole entire cosmos. He didn't know why his heartbeat suddenly became uneven. He didn't know why his throat tightened and eyes began to sting.

But what Loki did know, however, was that if Thor had wanted to stop playing hide and seek, all he had to do was ask.

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><p><strong>An:** Oh, that sound you're hearing? Yeah, that's me, headdesking. I completely _FAIL_ at writing Odin. This scene was originally played out in my mind to be between him and Loki, but then I decided to bring in the element of sibling rivalry. (Plus, it was kind of awkward in my mind with Loki and Odin. But with Odin and Thor everything just clicked.)

I've noticed something. I've been getting more reviews for the even chapters then I do for the odd. What's up with that? Well, I'm hoping this chapter makes you go "Awwwww!" and want to hug Loki, because it made me do such a thing. Anyway, please review this chapter and crush my more-even-reviews conspiracy!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS?

**A/n: WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY OVERDUE AND MAY CAUSE YOUR EYES TO EXPLODE / START TO BLEED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.** I'm _really_ sorry for not updating. Graduation put a lot of preassure on me. **THAT'S RIGHT, BITCHES, I GRADUATED!** ...Now only 8 more years of school left UUUUGGGGHHHH...Anyway, I blame the crappiness of this chapter on my melting mind. It's summer. Give me a break. I'm still getting over the aftershock of school, so please be nice.

**Loki is now 10 and Thor is 13. This is set right after the beginning of the movie when Odin shows them the Casket of Ancient Winters. Now read on, my friend. **

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><p>"That's <em>IT<em>, I've _HAD IT!_"

"Sissy, _NO!_"

Loki, startled out of his sleep, practically fell out of his bed. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. Who was shouting? And as a better question, who was shouting at this hour? The young prince scrambled out of his bed and room, but paused before entering the hallway.

The hallway was empty. Loki found this odd, considering the fact that there were always guards roaming the halls, keeping it safe from intruders.

"Please, you'll wake the whole palace—"

The voices started up again.

"I'll wake the _WHOLE DAMNED CITY IF I HAVE TO_!"

The voices were coming from the main entryway. Curiosity urged Loki on as the boy quickly moved down the hallway in the direction of the voices. He was just outside the throne room when he had to duck inside an open door in order to avoid being seen by one of the guards. The guard rushed inside the throne room; Loki quickly turned invisible and slipped inside behind him.

The guard nearly ran over to Odin—who was looking ever-so-slightly puzzled about the disturbances in his palace. The guard practically fell onto his knees once in front of the All-Father. Frowning slightly, Loki tiptoed further into the grand chamber, all the while keeping a wary eye on his Father's birds. Their beady eyes seemed to follow him, dispute the fact that he was invisible.

"My...King...," panted the guard, bringing his fist over his heart.

"Who is causing such a ruckus this late at night, dare I ask?" asked Odin, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Loki tried to get out of Hugin and Munin's range of sight by moving over to the side of the room. It didn't help; their eyes were trained on him, and he desperately wanted to throw something at them if they cawed even once.

"The Norns, Sir," replied the guard. (Loki wasn't sure, but for a brief second, it looked as if...fear crossed his Father's face. He would later blame it on lack of sleep, for nothing could ever scare the All-Father.)

Seconds after the words had left the man's mouth, the two huge chamber doors flew open with a loud _BANG_.

That was the first time Loki saw them. Bathed in the moonlight which was pouring in from the open windows, they seemed to have an eerie glow around them.

The three of them were frighteningly beautiful. The first woman was clearly the eldest. Her salt-and-peppered hair was thick and long, reaching all the way down to her waist. She had light blue eyes, high cheekbones, and a long neck. She was also thin and tall; she clearly towered over all the men in the court. She was dressed in simple attire; a brown dress that was slightly tattered and worn.

The second one was just barely shorter than the first. Her cropped blonde hair had spikes; the strands stuck out in every direction. Her eyes were fierce gray, and they reminded Loki of brewing storm clouds. She had high cheekbones as well, but unlike the first woman she had a pointed chin and thin lips. She was dressed more elegantly, wearing a dress made out of blue silk, which clung to her hourglass figure.

But Loki thought the third was the most beautiful of them all. She was clearly the youngest, looking no older than a teenager. She was quite shorter than the other two. Her vibrant red hair was pulled back into a braid. Her skin was creamy and flawless, save for the few freckles that dotted across her nose. Her cheekbones were high and she had a pointed chin, a combination of the two other women. She was dressed more beautifully than the others. She wore a white dress with gold and green hemming.

For some reason, Loki couldn't tell what color her eyes were. It didn't matter, because the yelling started up again.

_"You!"_ shouted the blonde, pointing at Odin with an accusing right arm. "You son of a _BITCH_!"

The guard, who had still been trying to catch his breath, scrambled to his feet and moved out of the path of the blonde, who came storming up to the throne. Loki, now startled by this woman's outburst, wondered if he could slip out of the chamber like he did before. The doors were still wide open...

Odin calmly rose from his seat and descended the steps down from the throne to them.

"Urd, Verdandi, Skuld," his Father greeted, politely nodding at each woman. Loki was expecting this, for his Father was a respectful and polite man. However, what Loki wasn't expecting was Odin bowing to them. Now he didn't get down on his knees, he didn't bow low, but he still did bow.

It sent Loki's mind into a frenzy. Everyone bowed to Odin, and Odin never bowed back. He didn't _need_ to—he was higher than them. He was a King. He was the one who demanded respect and got it. So who were these _women_ who owned enough respect to have the All-Father himself _bow down_ to _them_?

The one who he presumed was Urd smiled. "Hello, Lord Odin. It's a pleasure to see you again."

The blonde—Verdandi—glared at him as if he were one of the foulest creatures who had climbed out of Hel's dark abyss.

"A pleasure indeed," she said darkly. "You FOOL! What were you thinking, SHOWING _HIM_ THE CASKET? NOW HE KNOWS!"

Verdandi's voice was so loud that Loki could feel the vibrations in the floor. He made a move for the exit, but the redhead's—Skuld's—eyes flickered over to him.

Loki froze. Her eyes. They were the same eyes he had seen in the forest years ago. Blue mixed with red, yellow, green...the whole entire rainbow. They were just as mesmerizing now as they were back then. He couldn't help but stare.

But then just as quickly, her eyes flitted away.

"He knows nothing, I assure you," replied Odin smoothly. "All I did was _show_ him; nothing more, nothing less."

Loki was going to head for the door again when Skuld glanced at him again and ever-so-slightly shook her head. The boy blinked and frowned in confusion. She looked away, but jerked her chin a little to the right, motioning to Verdandi.

"That doesn't matter!" cried Verdandi, throwing her arms out at her sides.

As if blown by a sudden burst of powerful wind, the windows and both chamber doors were simultaneously slammed shut. Loki, along with most of the guards, jumped. Then he turned his green-eyed gaze on Skuld. She knew...?

"I've kept my mouth shut for _too_ long!" said Verdandi, turning around and stalking circles around the throne room. "Did we object when you and the Frost Giants went to war? No!"

"They _wanted_ war, Verdandi," Urd pointed out calmly, keeping her back to her sister, seemingly unfazed by her rage.

"Yes, and because of their foolery, they lost," muttered Verdandi darkly, rolling her eyes. "But that _IS NOT THE POINT!_" She whirled around and pointed at Odin again."_You_ had to go and make one of the _stupidest_ decisions that you could ever possibly make!"

Loki cocked his head, careful to move out of the way once Verdandi began stalking circles again. Frigga always told him that Odin always did things for a reason. So what could his Father have done which had the Norns (or at least, one) literally breaking down his doors in rage for?

"We are merely concerned about the well being of the city," said Urd.

"I am _fully aware_ of my decision, Verdandi," said Odin sharply.

"I don't think you are!" shouted the blonde, rounding the King. "Are you saying that you are PREPARED for bringing this city to it's DOWNFALL?"

"I—" Odin started, but he got cut off by Urd.

"I must agree with Verdandi," the eldest sister said gravely. "Yet, there is a simple solution."

"Kill him," piped up Skuld. Her voice was high and musical; possibly the prettiest thing Loki ever heard.

"KILL HIM!" repeated Verdandi, throwing her arms up into the air. "Kill him, I beg of you, and save us from this hare-brained nightmare!"

"NO!" bellowed Odin. "I will NOT KILL HIM!" Loki instinctively took a step backwards. He had heard his Father shout before, of course, but never with this much vigor. Seated above on the throne, Hugin and Munin both ruffled their feathers, as if upset to see their King this furious.

"I gave him a second chance and I shall NOT take it away from him now," Odin continued. "He is one of my own, and he would NEVER betray us."

Loki tried to put all of this together. So Verdandi was worried about someone stealing the Casket of Ancient Winters, and his Father just said that he was one of his own...So one of the guard's or Council Members was planning a mutiny?

Verdandi threw back her head and laughed humorously. "Keep telling yourself that," she spat.

"Very well," Urd stepped in. "We shall respect your decision, no matter what we have to say ourselves." Urd threw a glare over her shoulder at Verdandi, who scowled.

"Thank you," Odin said gratefully.

"Just know this, Odin Borson," said Verdandi. "You bring your fate upon yourself. When Asgard crumbled, don't come to us!"

And with that, the blonde whirled on her heel and strode out of the throne room. This time, the grand doors opened gently, and Loki thought he heard a small bell ringing. The other two Norns soon followed after Verdandi.

Loki waited a beat before he too left the throne room, barely making it out before the large doors shut once more. He quickly made his way back to his chambers, turning visible once more. Just as he was about to open the door, he paused. Loki turned and entered his brother's room instead.

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><p><strong>An: ***Insert brotherly talk which Batty is too lazy to write here* Umm...Well, I am not proud of this. I feel like I just banged my head against my keyboard and this happened as a result. But I had to get the Norns in there somehow, so...You'll see more of them later, I promise.

I still fail at writing Odin. He's just...just so _Odinish_! There's something about his character which I can't grasp. :D But I do like Protective!Odin. Oh yeah, I can write him all day. ;)

More characters shall come in more chapters. As the boys grow up, they get more friends. Lol. Anyway, please review and I promise to do better next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned this. I want it SO BAD.

**A/n:** Hey guys! What's up? Have I ever told you guys about my insomnia? It sucks. This morning, I woke up at 4 freaking AM and could not get back to sleep. Bummer!

Anyway, this (and more possible little fluffy shorts) are ALL ADAM YOUNG'S FAULT. That's right, kiddies, Owl City came out with a new album (_All Things Bright and Beautiful_) and I've been listening to it NON-STOP. I've heard _Galaxies _so many times I think I might throw up. (JK, that's too awesome of a song to make me throw up.) I would suggest listening to that while reading.

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><p>Thor sighed softly, pulling his arms behind his head. The young prince was lying down, staring blissfully up at the night sky through the glass ceiling of the astronomy tower. The tower was located on the west side of the palace so that it overlooked the Bifrost. The rainbow bridge cast an eerie glow over the tower at night, making the black marble look smooth and creamy rather than rock hard and cold.<p>

The blonde was completely ignoring Loki, who was chattering on next to him.

"...And I think that might be Kochab...Unless it's Polaris...," muttered Loki, biting his lip as he looked rapidly between the ceiling and a half- completed star map which was spread out on the floor in front of him. He could never tell which was which—they were all just stars, why did anyone have to know their names?

Loki didn't even know why he was here. Apparently, he was _too young_ to learn about the nine realms, but Thor had just started his studies. And because Thor was Thor, he often got lost and came to Loki for help.

Now, Loki normally could handle Thor's questions; it was almost to the point where it was _Loki_ who was doing the blonde's work for him. (Loki, of course, never breathed a word of this to Thor's teachers. Why, he didn't know. Perhaps it had something to with the fact that Loki actually wanted Thor to learn so that he would stop asking him questions.)

But when it came to a astronomy assignment, Loki had no idea what he was doing. Like always, Thor had shoved the scroll upon his little brother, but Loki had protested. As a result, both boys had snuck out of their rooms and slunk over into the astronomy tower. Loki had previously never been in said tower, and made a silent promise to himself that he would never step forth in it again. It was too confusing.

Loki glanced at his brother and scowled.

"Thor, are you even listening to me?"

"No," the blonde answered, not missing a beat, "and you're wrong, by the way. That's Vega and Etamin, not Kochab and Polaris." Loki stared blankly at him. Thor raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If _you_ know this, why am _I_ the one who is writing it down?" cried Loki.

"Because you have better handwriting," replied Thor smoothly, turning his attention back onto the stars.

Loki clapped his hand to his forehead and dragged it down the length of his face. "You're _such_ a prat," he grumbled.

"What was that?" said Thor loudly.

"Nothing, brother," said Loki quickly, looking up once more.

"Really?" asked Thor slowly, propping himself up on his elbows and narrowing his eyes at his brother. "Because I thought you said something."

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," said Loki, writing something down on the star map.

"Only fools are positive," Thor pointed out.

"Are you sure?" questioned Loki, looking at him and arching an eyebrow.

"I'm positive," said Thor firmly. A grin broke out on Loki's face, and Thor's brow furrowed. "...Wait..."

Loki burst out laughing. Thor sat up and glared at him. He waited until Loki had quieted down, then asked,

"You finished?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Then, without warning, Thor tackled Loki and began to tickle him mercilessly. Loki squirmed and shrieked and tried to protest, but soon they were both laughing. When the both couldn't breathe, they collapsed onto the hard marble floor, too winded to speak.

"I...I...hate you...," gasped Loki, but he was grinning when he said it. He focused back on the stars above them. He pointed to one of them. "Phad?" he guessed.

Thor shook his head. "Merak."

Loki shut his eyes and groaned. "I do not get how you can tell them apart!"

"It isn't that hard," said Thor.

"For me it is!" replied Loki.

"I never would have guessed that you would have found astronomy _difficult_," teased Thor.

"Shut up; I can get everything else just fine."

"Exactly my point."

"Everyone has their Achilles Heel," said Loki. He snagged his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded to a consolation. "Is that it?"

"No," said Thor, grinning, "not even close."

"Darn it!"

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><p>They stayed up in the tower all night. The next morning, when Frigga was on the brink of a panic attack, she found them there, curled up into each other on the cold marble floor.<p>

The queen smiled softly, shook her head, and let them be. She didn't have the heart to wake them.

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><p><strong>An:** Because all fights should end with tickling.

...I've had too much fun with this. I'm sorry if you are all burying your faces and saying, "Oooh, Batty, why?" But I don't care. Anyway, I see Thor being really good at astronomy because of that little scene in the movie where he was explaining Yggdrasil to Jane. (You get bonus points it you tell me how to pronounce that.) And, of course, if Thor's good at something, Loki has to be bad at it.

Oh God, lack of sleep has made me chatty, hasn't it? Wow. Oh wow. Ok, I'll shut up. Review please, and have a nice weekend!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own. Need I bring in a lawyer? (Yes, I think I will. Jared Franklin ;D)

**A/n:** I...I don't even...

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><p>Odin would be lying if he said that he didn't worry about his children. He may not look like it to some, but the All-Father was a very compassionate man. On the outside, he certainly didn't look like it, but to his family he was a loving and caring father.<p>

Now, Odin didn't pity either of his sons. No, quite the opposite. Odin took pride in both of them, even in their young age.

Thor clearly had potential. The blonde was older, stronger, and was thrilled by the thought of one day ruling Asgard. (However, he was selfish and arrogant—something that Odin wished would be cured by the time his adolescence was over.) Thor was friendly, loving, and protective. If he looked out for Asgard the same way he looked out for his brother, than he would indeed be a fine king.

Loki was just as talented as Thor, just not in the same areas. He was smaller and thinner than his brother or any other child in his age group. Despite his size, Loki was smarter and a quicker thinker than Thor. (And Odin knew for a fact that Loki occasionally did Thor's schoolwork; their handwriting was just as different as the boys themselves.) Not to mention Loki had extraordinary talent with magic, something that neither Thor nor Odin had been particularly gifted with.

Even though both of his boys were worth bragging about, it was Loki who Odin worried about the most. He worried about Loki getting hurt due to one of Thor's harebrained ideas. He worried about Loki and his magic. He worried about Loki one day discovering his Frost Giant heritage and going into a rampage. But most of all, he worried about loosing Loki.

It would one day happen; the Norns had predicted it, and Frigga had seen it. Deep down, Odin knew this, yet he didn't want to believe it just yet. There was no way that a child that small and innocent could turn against them.

Something similar had recently happened in Vanaheim. There had been an uprising among the people against the royals, being lead by King Njord's adviser. Vanaheim was at war with itself. Because of this, Njord had recently asked Odin if he could send his twin children—Frey and Freya—into Asgard until the fighting died down. Frey was the crowned prince and next in line for the throne, so there was already a bounty on his head. Freya was just a pretty little thing that anyone could take advantage of if given the chance.

Odin of course, had agreed to Njord's request. He even offered to send a rank of his own warriors into Vanaheim to fight along side him. Njord thanked Odin but refused, saying that it was his kingdom and he could take care of it himself.

Odin was expecting the arrival of the twins a week from now, so he was already having two spare rooms in the palace made up for their Vanir guests.

So perhaps it was the consistent worry about Loki or of the war in Vanaheim that triggered his Odinsleep.

The day that the symptoms of dizziness and fatigue almost overcame him was the day that Skuld arrived. The red-haired Norn had greeted Odin and Frigga with the utmost respect; Skuld seemed to deny the fact that she was in fact more powerful than all the rulers of the nine realms combined. She had a small smile on her lips when she told them both that, "It's time."

Frigga had lead Odin off into their chambers, not once letting go of his hand, Skuld trailing along behind.

"How long will it last?" asked Frigga as Odin sat down on his bed.

"Two, three days. Less than a week, so not terribly long," Skuld replied, and stepped out of the way of the door seconds before it burst open.

Thor came rushing in, Loki at his heels, a very winded looking Fulla following closely behind. Both boys ran over to Odin, standing on either sides of him.

"Father, do you _have_ to go to sleep?" asked Thor.

"Father, what is the point of the Odinsleep anyway?" questioned Loki.

"What would happen if you stopped breathing?"

"How long will you be asleep?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Can you get nightmares?"

"I tried to stop them," Fulla told Frigga. "Honestly I did."

"Do not fret," Frigga said, smiling, "they were bound to do this sooner or later."

"Have you two been giving Fulla a hard time?" questioned Odin, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Father," both brothers chorused quickly. Odin didn't notice how Loki's eyes would occasionally flick over to Skuld.

"Good; now return to you rooms with Fulla. I must rest. I shall tell you everything you wish to know when I wake up."

Both boys looked as if they would protest, but Loki scrambled up onto the bed next to Odin and wrapped his thin arms around his torso, pressing his face into his Father's chest. Thor quickly copied him, and the two princes were clinging to him like he was a lifeline.

"I don't want you to go," murmured Loki. Thor said nothing, but just squeezed him with the grip of a warrior.

Odin felt his heart swell with grief. Loki may have been small, sharp-tongued, a troublemaker and a Frost Giant in disguise, but Odin loved the boy more than anything during that moment. And as he lost consciousness, Odin knew that one day Loki wouldn't hug him. He knew that Loki would rebel and be hit by a wave of truth that would pull him under and consume him.

But until then, all Odin could do was worry.

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><p><strong>An: **Uumm...Here's another attempt at Loving!Odin. ...Pfft I fail. Anyway, I've recently been looking at a LOT of Thor fanart. Is it wrong that I want fanart to go along with this story? BECAUSE I WANT IT SO BAD.

Also, that odd / even chapter getting more reviews thing is still happening. What the heck. Please review because this chapter is even lol.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Oh, how I wish I owned Frey and Loki and Thor and Sif and everyone else mentioned in this.

**A/n:** YES, I FINALLY GOT TO INTRODUCE FREY. OH HOW I LOVE FREY. He's my baby. :D **Alright, read this please: **because in the movie, Thor and Loki and all the other Asgardians have British accents, and since there are supposed to be 9 realms, I figured, what if the other realms have other accents? And since Freya is supposed to be all sexy 'n stuff and Frey is just awesome, I gave them both French accents. **So pretend like they have different accents, m'kay?** And I also see them being like swimmers because Vanaheim is supposed to be like this realm with all these beaches and sailing, so...you do the math. Thank you. Now you may read on. :)

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><p>The night the Vanir twins arrive is the night that Odin awakes from the Odinsleep. He has only been out two days, so not very long at all. Frigga had been the step-in ruler of the city while he was asleep. Odin could tell that, no matter how controlling she was, she did not enjoy being placed in charge. She would often ask him how he did it, and sometimes Odin didn't even know himself.<p>

The two Vanir royals had been escorted directly from the Bifrost by Vidar, a powerful young god who had recently earned the spot of captain of the guards. It had been Frigga's idea to have them escorted, what with there being prices on their heads. She didn't want an attacker to pop up out of no where and kill them; they were just _children_, after all.

Said children never let go of each other's hand as they were lead to the throne room to greet Frigga and Odin. They clearly weren't of Frigga and Odin's race; they looked too pretty and impish to be Asgardians. (However, they were both girlish looking, and in his still-sleepy mind, Odin couldn't tell which one was the girl and which one was the boy, but Frigga could.)

The taller one—Frey—thanked the King and Queen for their hospitality and understanding. His heavy accent mixed with the fatigue that they both must have been feeling made it difficult to understand _exactly_ what he said, but Frigga paraphrased.

The twins were shown to their rooms. They had been given a whole hall to themselves, Frigga trying to make them feel as at home as possible. (She honestly had no idea how things were handled in Njord's kingdom, but she desperately wanted to help those poor little things.) She sent some servants off to assist them in the morning, but was surprised when they returned to her, all saying that the twin's rooms were empty.

The motherly instinct rose up in Frigga and she began to panic like she did whenever Loki or Thor had done something impulsive enough to get them killed. She wondered if assassins had swooped in during the night and had stolen away the children, but Vidar assured her that if someone had done so, he would have known about it. Odin reminded her that they were only children, and were probably off exploring the palace on their own.

"They are probably curious," said Odin. "Let them explore. And besides, it's not like they will do anything rash. They will probably run into Thor and Loki anyways."

But that was another reason why Frigga was so worried.

* * *

><p>Loki was walking back from the library through the courtyard, an open book in his hands. He was scanning the pages while treading on slowly, considering he had the habit of tripping over himself while trying to multitask. He had almost made it through to the other side when he noticed something—or rather, some<em>one<em>—out of the corner of his eye.

The porcelain skinned boy abruptly stopped walking and shut his book before turning his head to look at the other person. He was staring at the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, his head cocked to one side.

"...What are you doing?" asked Loki, tucking his book under his arm and walking over to the boy. Now that he got closer, Loki could see him more clearly.

He had shaggy brown hair which fell into his eyes in a way that would make Frigga scream in frustration. He was taller than Loki, and looked a tad bit older, too. Around Thor's age, Loki guessed. His features were impish—pointed ears, a button nose, fair skin, high cheekbones, and red, heart-shaped lips. His body was long and lean, like a swimmer's. He was quite handsome, but when Loki tried to remember his name, he drew a blank.

"Ze water," said the boy in an accented, musical, and surprisingly feminine sounding voice, "eet's flowing backwards, eez eet not?"

Loki stared at him for a moment before glancing at the fountain. It was nothing special, being in the crumbling courtyard after all. It had been enchanted to be everlasting and have it's waters flow until the end of time, or something like that. Loki didn't really believe that, considering the fact that it looked like it would crumble to bits any day now. Not to mention that it was in the corner of the courtyard, unnoticeable while walking by unless you had as keen as eyes as Loki's.

"No," said Loki, glancing back at the boy, "it's not."

"Yes, eet eez!" the boy replied with vigor. "It's flowing down, not up!"

Loki frowned in confusion for a moment. "Your accent...what is it?"

The boy turned his head away from the fountain and looked at Loki. His eyes were almost liquid, the topaz color swirling around his irises. "_Excusez-moi?_"

"Wait, you must be one of the Vanir twins!" said Loki excitedly, more to himself than to the boy. "That explains why I don't know your name or your accent! ...That sounded rude, didn't it? I'm sorry. I'm Loki."

"One of ze princes?" asked the boy, raising a perfectly cut eyebrow as Loki nodded. "Funny, I 'ad zought you would be taller."

At this, Loki groaned and rolled his eyes. "I know, I know! _Everyone_ thinks that! I can't help being short, I am still young!"

The Vanir laughed. "I like you. I am Frey."

"I know."

"Zan do you know why ze water eez flowing backwards?" demanded Frey, gesturing to the fountain. He was clearly upset, and Loki wondered if his Mother had explained the differences between Vanaheim and Asgard.

"Well, here that's the way it flows," explained Loki.

"Really?" asked Frey, now looking more curious than upset. "What else eez different 'ere?"

* * *

><p>Sif sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. It was one of the hotter days of the early summer, so of course Thor had to pick today to drag her into his work. He had been assigned by Tyr to clean and polish all the warrior's swords.<p>

Thor had been ecstatic. The prince had the energy of a smaller child, being so excited to work with something that had to do with fighting. Sif wasn't stupid, so she knew that this was simply a way for Tyr to get some handy work done while also giving the servants a break. And since there were at least a hundred different types of swords, Sif had offered (been dragged into it against her will, more accurately) to help.

Now she had just finished her forty-third sword and was about ready to drop. She was about to hoist it up in her arms and take it back to the armory when a voice stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

Sif turned, expecting to see someone like Tyr or one of his 'almighty warriors', but was surprised when she saw...Well, she didn't know who she was looking at.

The first thing that Sif noticed was that the girl had long, blonde hair, just like she used to have. She was also pixie-like; a button nose, red, heart-shaped lips, high cheekbones, fair skin, and pointed ears. Even at her young age, her body seemed to have the natural shape of an hourglass. Her limbs were long, like a swimmer's, but she was beautiful, none the less. Her eyes were a strange shade of liquid topaz. Her voice was high pitched and musical.

The second thing Sif noticed was her outrageous and ridiculously heavy accent.

"'Ello? Are you listening, _fille_?"

"Um," said Sif, "yes."

"What are you doing wiz a sword? I zought zat women were not allowed to 'ave zem," said the girl innocently.

The third thing that Sif noticed was that she immediately _hated_ this girl. True, women weren't allowed to have swords unless you were only giving it to your husband or son (or unless you were Queen Frigga, because than you probably would _need_ a sword to keep Thor and Loki in line). Sif hated that rule and she desperately wanted to get rid of it. _She_ wanted to be the one with the sword, defending Asgard and all its good citizens.

Thor used to laugh at her for having such a dream, but one day she pinned him down and actually punched him, so he quit laughing after that. He also promised to help her become a warrior as well.

The girl went on. "Unless, of course, you are actually a man. I only assumed because of your lovely face. 'Owever, I suppose I could be wrong..."

"No," said Sif, "I'm a woman."

"Oh," the girl said, sounding slightly disappointed. "...But your 'air..."

Sif, feeling outraged, scowled and was about to ask who the girl thought she was, but then Thor walked over, saving the girl from getting a black eye on that pretty face of hers.

"Sif, what's taking you so long? Oh, hello. Who are you?"

"Freya," the girl replied. "Who are you?"

"Why are you talking like that?" asked Thor bluntly. Sif elbowed him in his ribs.

"It's her accent," she hissed at him.

"What's an accent?" he whispered back. Sif glared at him, than realized that Freya was watching them, her head cocked to one side.

"I'm Sif," she said, waving slightly and feeling completely foolish after doing so, considering that Freya was only about six feet from her, "and this is Thor." Sif gestured to her companion, and watched at Freya's eyebrows twitched upwards.

"Oh, you mean like ze prince?" questioned Freya, and Sif wondered who _else_ Freya knew who was named _Thor_. "Yes, I zought zat I would meet you. Eezn't zere supposed to be a smaller one, too?"

"You mean Loki?" asked Sif, raising an eyebrow.

"Loki," echoed Freya softly, as if enjoying the way that the boy's name felt against her tongue.

"Where is Loki, anyway? I am sure that he will want to meet you. However, he is kind of quiet," said Thor quickly, on the verge of a full-on rant.

Sif's jaw nearly dropped. She had never seen Thor so bashful!

"'E must be wiz Frey...," muttered Freya to herself while Thor babbled on.

As if on cue, an impish-looking brunette boy who looked almost exactly like Freya came rushing past, pulling Loki along by his wrist. His long legs came to a stop when he glanced over at them, releasing Loki's wrist. This caused the porcelain skinned prince to trip over his own two feet and fall on the ground.

Hearing his brother's yelp must have snapped Thor out of his daze, because he immediately went over to Loki and helped him up.

"Frey!" greeted Freya, smiling as the brunette came over to her. "_Ou avez-vous ete_?"

"_Je faisais un tour avee mon nouvel ami_," Frey answered, smiling as well. The two drifted off into a conversation in their own language and Sif walked around the siblings and over to Thor and Loki.

"I think he broke my wrist," muttered Loki, cradling his injury against his chest.

"Who are they, anyways?" asked Sif.

"The Vanir twins," Loki answered.

"The ones Father was expecting?" asked Thor, and Loki nodded.

"...And ze water eez even flowing backwards!" concluded Frey. Freya gasped, covering her mouth with her dainty hands.

"Oh, and for some reason, Frey is fascinated by water," explained Loki.

Thor hummed and put his hand on Loki's thin shoulder. "Come on, you should go to Eir. We can talk to them later," he said, and began steering Loki away. Sif walked back over to the sword she had been cleaning, picked it up and carried it back to the armory, all the while dreading the outcome of having these foreigners here in Asgard.

* * *

><p><strong>An: -EDIT- **Thanks to plume-noire 6 for correcting my French.

Um, Irritated!Sif is irritated. I can see her starting to develope feelings for Thor at this point. (And there will be some Thor/Sif, {**BECAUSE JANE IS NOT APART OF THIS STORY, YES I DO SUPPORT CANNON**} so don't worry about there being anything with Freya. She's just sexy and all guys act like that. Even as a kid, she's got it goin' on. ;) And I'm sure Loki and Thor are normally better hosts, it's just that Loki is in pain and Thor is all big brother so...yeah you know.)

Also, I'm concidering writing another story for the Thor archive. It is/would be about Thor getting Amora to send him back in time to, idk, like treat Loki better and hopefully stop his betrayal, but it kind of backfires when Loki gets the memories of what actually happened and like thinks that they are dreams and tells Thor, and Thor totally panics...Yeah, I know, it sounds far fetched, but I'm just tossing it around in my head.

Wow, long author's note. The next chapter features: Magic!Loki, Amora, annnnnnd *drum rool* lots of _dramatic chases!_ Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **C'mon, do you really think that I own this?

**A/n:** Ok, this was originally going to be much longer, but since I am not a very patient person I decided to post this early and split this chapter up into two parts. So here's **part one**.

* * *

><p>Loki knocked on Frey's chamber door with his left hand. He normally would have used his right hand, but because of Frey's excitement about exploring the palace, he had accidentally fractured Loki's wrist. Eir had wrapped it, put a brace on it, and instructed Loki not to use his right hand until it was healed.<p>

This frustrated the prince, for he was right handed and it made everything difficult when he couldn't use his dominate hand. He asked Eir if she could simply use her magic to heal it, but she had refused, saying that magic was only good for healing completely broken bones, not fractures. She had, of course, used her magic to treat the pain.

But despite the fact that he had nearly broken his wrist, Loki actually liked Frey. The Vanir seemed happy to answer any of the questions that Loki had about Vanaheim, while likewise he would answer any of Frey's questions about Asgard. (Also, Frey apparently found Loki humorous, but the porcelain skinned boy had no idea why—he wouldn't even try to be funny and Frey would just laugh at him.)

"_Viennent dans les_,"called Frey's voice from inside the room. Loki stood there for a moment and blinked. He had no idea what that meant, but he hoped it meant something inviting, because he pushed open the door and entered anyway.

The room was very large; almost the size of a small ballroom. Frey was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, his legs crossed, his hands, palm up, resting on top of his knees. His lips turned upwards in a smile when Loki came in, and Loki wondered if his lips were naturally that red or if Frey painted them.

"What are you doing?" asked Loki bluntly, referring to Frey's pose.

"Meditating," Frey answered simply, shrugging his shoulders slightly. He motioned for Loki to sit next to him. "Join me? Eet 'elps balance your chi. My Fazzer and I would always do eet every day. I suppose eet eez a 'ard 'abit to break."

"Really?"

Frey nodded and Loki sat down across from him and mimicked the Vanir's pose. Loki secretly wished that _his_ Father would do something like that with him. They sat in silence for a moment before Loki broke it.

"Frey?"

"Yes?"

"What's chi?"

"Oh," said Frey, sounding slightly surprised. He frowned slightly. "Hmm, I 'ave never 'ad to explain eet before...eet eez your body's natural energy. Eef you can master eet, eet can make you more flexible."

"It can?" asked Loki, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," said Frey eagerly, "look." Frey uncrossed his legs and lifted his right leg up and stuck it behind his head. Loki's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"That is...interesting," said Loki uncertainly as Frey sat cross-legged again. "How long do you do this a day?"

"For about an 'our. Eet depends on what Fazzer 'ad going on zat day."

Loki hummed in reply and let his eyes travel around the room. There was a perfectly made bed , dresser, and vanity on one side of the room, while on the other side there was a desk with scattered papers and what looked like a half-complete ship-in-a-bottle project that Frey was working on. Then, of course, there were the many windows which lined the east wall, showing a lovely view of the city.

Loki's eyes turned upward towards the ceiling. The whole entire roof had been painted like an astronomical map, naming various stars and consolations. The Aesir prince shut his eyes, groaned, and fell backwards onto the floor.

"What eez eet?" questioned Frey.

"What _is_ it with Thor and you and _stars_?" muttered Loki, bringing his hands up to cover his face.

"Why do you not like them?" asked Frey, cocking his head to one side. "Zey are quite important, especially when you go sailing. Zey can guide you and—"

Frey got cut off by a low and faint _BOOM_. The noise sent vibrations up through the floor. Loki sat straight up, than got onto his knees, his eyes wide and fixed on the area beneath him.

"Did you feel _that_?"

"Yes," replied Frey uncertainly. "Eez zat some kind of doorbell zat you 'ave?"

"Doorbell?" repeated Loki. He shook his head, an excited grin spreading on his face. "No, no, that was an explosion, I'm sure of it!"

"Explosion?"

"Yeah—but I can not think of anything that an explosion would be useful for...Unless...," Loki trailed off, and his grin got wider. He stood up suddenly and grabbed Frey and yanked him up as well. "C'mon, hurry, or we might miss it!"

"Miss what?" asked Frey as Loki pulled him out of his room and out into the hallway.

"The fun!" replied Loki. "I think someone broke into the armory!"

* * *

><p>The smoke rose up into the air and stayed there like a hazy fog. Light from the hallway poured into the darkened room, casting eerie shadows in the room which held some of Asgard's most powerful weapons. A figure emerged from the smoke, hurrying into the room with quick, featherlight footsteps.<p>

Said figure muttered something quietly, and two blue balls of energy appeared in their hands. The glowing spheres briefly illuminated a young woman before floating out of her hands and levitating in the air just above the woman's head. She looked around the now lit armory and made a soft noise of frustration before striding deeper into the chamber, the spheres of light following her as she went.

The woman went over to a dustier section of the room, where there were stacks of cobweb covered scrolls piled on the floor. She bent down and leafed through every one, making another noise of frustration when she was done.

"Where _is_ it?" she hissed quietly to herself.

The sound of boots against the tiled floor caught her attention. She turned her eyes towards the large empty space where the doors used to be just as Vidar and two other guards appeared.

"Oy," said Vidar, "what do you think you're doing?"

The woman stood straight up and blinked. "Goodness," she said, a wicked smile on her lips, "you must be new at this or something, because that is _the_ worst starting line I have _ever_ heard." She put her hands on her slender hips and strode forward with a certain confident swagger.

"To aid you in your obliviousness," continued the woman, pressing her hand against her chest, "I am the amazing Enchantress, Amora; master of magic and a thousand times better than any of your palace's swanky sorcerers. Here's how this works..."

The woman called Amora snapped her fingers. The two balls of energy floating near her shot towards Vidar and the guards. Instead of hitting them, the spheres phased into the ground right in front of their feet. In the next instant, ice spurted up from the ground, encasing the men in ice from the waist down.

"I walk out of here," continued Amora, causally walking towards the exit, ignoring the guard's struggles, "and you don't arrest me." She paused near Vidar, reaching out and pinching his cheek. "Get it?"

Amora dodged the swipe he made at her and walked out into the hall. The second she was out of the armory, she took off into a run. The spell that she had cast wore off and the ice turned to water, freeing the guards and their Captain. Despite the bottom half of their torsos being completely drenched, they seemed unharmed.

However, Vidar could not say the same about his pride. That Enchantress had left him flustered, and he was _not_ about to let her get away for _that_.

"Don't just stand there!" said Vidar to his guards. "After her!" But it was he who ran out of the armory first.

* * *

><p>"Vy are we going '<em>owards<em> a robbery?"

Loki stopped walking and turned around to look at his friend.

"Be_cause_," he replied, rolling his eyes, "whoever would break into the armory would either be daft or extremely powerful!"

"Oh," said Frey, blinking. "I still don't get it."

Loki sighed. "Never mind. Just hurry up!" The porcelain skinned boy turned back around and was about to continue on his way, but got shoved roughly into the wall.

"Outta my way, kid!"

A woman who looked no older than Vidar himself had been the one who had pushed him. She had dirty blonde hair which was cut into a messy bowl style. Her eyes were green, somewhat matching the faded color of her tattered strapless dress. She was tall, and had rings on each of her slender fingers. She was also extremely thin, almost to the point where Loki could see her very bones underneath her skin. Another thing Loki noticed was that she was wearing no shoes.

The woman rushed past him, not even bothering to apologize to him, even though _he_ was a _prince_ and she should have—!

The next instant, Vidar and two other guards dashed into the hall. The woman stopped running, turned around, and did something that made Loki gape.

She duplicated herself; one moment, there was only one of her, then the next there were two. One of her turned on her heel and ran out, while the other created a ball of energy between her hands. She shot it at the guards, and it hit Vidar straight in the chest, knocking him backwards off his feet and slammed on his back on the ground. The one who had shot the magic disappeared short after.

One of the guards attended to Vidar while the other chased after the woman. As soon as the Captain was on his feet, he and the other guard followed after.

"Did you see that?" asked Loki excitedly, his eyes still staring at the spot where the duplicate had stood.

"Ze Sorceress?" said Frey, raising an eyebrow. "She slammed you eento ze wall and you are only wanting to praise 'er?"

"No, not praise her," said Loki, shaking his head and stepping away from Frey. "Ask her how she did it."

"What? Why would—where are you going?"

Loki hurried out of the hall in the direction that the adults had gone, Frey on his heels.

"She ran into a dead end, so she's gotta be—" Loki stopped when they rounded the corner. "Huh?"

True as he had said, the hallway lead to nowhere but a wall, yet the only people who were in it were Vidar and his guards. Vidar looked positively furious. Loki quickly grabbed Frey and pulled him out of the Captain's way when he stormed out of the hall, his guards close behind.

"Where did she go?" thought Frey aloud.

"I dunno," replied Loki, shrugging, "but she's good."

* * *

><p>The next day, Loki went to the library to return a book. He had to walk down several rows of shelves; he might have been young, but he could read at a much higher age level. Once he found the correct shelf and returned the book, he was going to head back to his chambers before something caught his eye.<p>

The young prince had been to the library enough to know who came when and looked up what—for example, before Vidar had taken over his father's position as the army's Captain, he came into the library in the early mornings and studied battle strategies. Most sorcerer's and their trainees came here to study as well, always bringing their spellbooks to copy things down or take notes in. However, it was on rare occasion that a sorcerer left his spellbook out in the open.

That's what confused Loki. While passing a shelf, he noticed a spellbook shoved on top of a row of books. The boy stopped and looked at it for a moment, curious to why it's owner would leave it unattended.

It was quite a dangerous thing for sorcerer's to leave their spellbooks just lying around. Another sorcerer could steal it, learn all of your tricks, and later use it to his or her advantage in a fight. Whoever left this, Loki decided, wasn't very wise.

He picked it up from its spot on the shelf and examined it. Loki found it odd that there was no seal on the leather cover of the book—with either wax or magic. Had the book belonged to an apprentice of one of the council's Sorcerer's, there would have been one of both. The prince opened the book and began flipping through the pages. He found it even more odd that some pages were loose-leaf and written in different handwriting.

None the less, Loki was intrigued by some of the spells written inside. As he began to read more and more of the book, he could only wonder who this spellbook belonged to.

* * *

><p>Amora ducked into an alleyway, slamming herself up against the wall. She could hear Vidar and the other palace guards just behind her. They had somehow caught up with her and had been chasing her around all night, and she <em>needed<em> to get back to the palace. Now.

As she heard the men approaching, she pressed herself into the stone wall. She tried to slow her breathing, her chest rising and falling with every rapid breath. She saw the oncoming light of a lantern, and she wrapped the night's shadows around her just as the Captain himself rounded the corner into the alley.

The lantern illuminated Vidar, highlighting the sharp and defined angles of his handsome face. He cautiously stepped down the alley, unknowingly getting closer and closer to Amora. Each step he took echoed down the darkened street. Amora held her breath as Vidar got so close she could have reached out and brushed one of the curls of his dark hair. The lantern would have completely lit her up had she not been invisible.

Reaching out to her magic, Amora flicked her fingers, quickly casting a spell. A loud crash and a man's cry came from the street behind them—Vidar whirled around and rushed off towards the sound. Amora let out her breath and smirked; a simple magnetic spell would keep the other guards glued together by their armor for at least an hour.

Becoming visible once more, Amora turned her attention to the looming silhouette of the palace.

* * *

><p>Loki blinked his eyes open, adjusting them to the darkness of his room. He yawned, briefly wondering why he was awake until the dryness of his throat made itself known. Rubbing his eyes, the prince threw back his blankets and swung his legs to the side of his bed, hissing slightly when bare feet met the cold ground.<p>

Walking out of his room, Loki paused once more to yawn, then headed down the candle-lit hallway, making his way to the kitchens. He passed one corridor and another and another, the rooms lost on his still half-asleep mind. It wasn't until Loki nearly hit a wall did he realize that he had went down a dead-ended.

Shaking his head in an attempt to wake himself up, the prince turned around and was about to go to the kitchens the right way when something stopped him. A loud thump and a curse came from a room to his right—the library, he realized. He must have gone down that hallway by mistake.

But who would be in there at this time of the night? Now curious, Loki tiptoed over to the room and peeked through one of the opened doors.

Moonlight flooded in through the grand windows on the east wall, causing shadows to form and stretch out on the floor. Some of the shelves were empty and their books were lying in heaps on the floor. Loki frowned in confusion, wondering why someone would go pillaging though a library and not even try to clear the evidence that showed them being there.

He didn't know why, but he found who soon enough. A person stood in a row of shelves, pulling out, briefly looking at and throwing down books onto the floor. They had their back turned towards him, so Loki didn't know who it was, but they sure seemed desperate. The person finished with the last of the books on one shelf, cursed again, and turned around to start on the next shelf.

Loki unintentionally gasped softly when he recognized the person—it was that same woman from this afternoon!

_ The one who shoved me into the wall,_ a voice snarked in the back of his head, but Loki ignored it.

Leaning forward to get a better view of what she was doing, Loki pushed the door open, far enough that the hinges creaked. The woman's head snapped over to him, obviously now knowing about his presence.

Before Loki even knew what was going on, the woman had grabbed his collar and yanked him fully into the room, the door slamming shut behind him. He soon found _himself_ being slammed up against the door, being held up by his shoulder high enough so that his toes just barely brushed against the ground. The woman was in his face, holding a blue ball of magic in the hand that wasn't keeping him pinned to the door.

"What are you—?"

"I'll scream," said Loki quickly, cutting her off, his words pouring out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying. "I'll scream and the guards will come and you'll be caught and taken down to the dungeons."

The woman narrowed her eyes, staring at him with such an intensity that it might have made him shrink away had he not been staring right back at her. Then, after a moment, she every so slowly lowered and extinguished the energy in her hand. Loki let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and she let go of his shoulder, dropping him to the floor.

"You're one of those princes, aren't you?" guessed the woman, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Lucy, was it?"

"Loki," corrected Loki hotly.

The woman smirked. "I think Lucy fits you better."

Loki rolled his eyes and she turned around and headed back to the shelves. Loki followed her.

"Who are you anyway?"

"Amora, the Enchantress," she replied. "Now be a good boy and go away."

"What are you doing?" asked Loki, ignoring the latter part of her sentence.

"Are you still here? Shoo already," said Amora, turning away from him and heading down another isle.

"You're looking for something," said Loki suddenly. "A spellbook, perhaps?"

He watched as Amora froze. Her square shoulders hitched and her body seemed to become rigid. A small smile tugged on his lips when he realized that he had guessed right.

Turning around slowly, Amora glared at him. "How did you know about that? Who told you?"

"No one," shrugged Loki, walking over the desk he had left the unknown spellbook in and opened one of its drawers. Grabbing the book from inside, he pulled it out and waved it in the air.

"I figured it out by myself. See, none of the sorcerers leave their spellbooks lying around; plus, they always put hexes on them so that no one can steal or touch them. You lost it, and went looking for it in the armory, correct?"

Amora stalked over to him and snatched the small book out of his hand. "So what if I lost it? You act as if you haven't lost yours before."

Loki stared blankly at her. "I don't have a spellbook."

"You don't?" asked Amora, taken aback. "You have magic, I can tell. You of all people—a _prince_—you don't have spellbook? Than how do you learn magic?"

Loki looked down sheepishly and muttered, "I don't. It just sort of...comes to me."

Amora laughed once, shaking her head in spite. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"I am not! And I want to learn more, because I know I'm good at it," said Loki quickly. Amora just ignored him, turned towards the exit and continued to walk out of the library. Loki hurried after her into the hallway and soon fell into step with her. "You could teach me, too. Like, that thing you did this morning in the hall, when you made more of you—"

"Duplication?" questioned Amora, glancing at Loki and raising an eyebrow. The boy nodded vigorously. "No; you are far too young."

"What? I am not—oh come on, please? Just—just teach me _one_ of the spells you have. I understand most of them that you have written down." At this, Amora stopped walking, and so did Loki. "They all seem very simple—"

"This?" Amora shouted suddenly, opening the small book and shoving it in Loki's face. "This, right here? You can _read_ this?"

Loki balked, leaning away from Amora. The dirty blonde looked furious.

"Yes," he said hesitantly after a moment, slowly pushing the book down away from his face. "Yes, I can read it, just like you."

Amora pulled the book back to her, her eyes rapidly scanning up and down the pages. Loki's eyes widened when it dawned on him.

"...You can't read, can you?"

For a moment, there was just silence. Then, Amora took a deep breath and shook head.

"No," she admitted gravely. "I was never taught."

"I can teach you!" said Loki excitedly. Her sharp green eyes snapped on to him and he backtracked. "Er—I mean, if you teach me how to use my magic, I'll teach you to read."

Amora looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before humming softly. "I feel like I'm going to regret this, but...alright."

Loki beamed and resisted the urge to leap up into the air with joy. "Great!"

"Ah!" tutted Amora. "Shake on it."

Loki nearly rolled his eyes, but he got distracted by what she did next. The dirty blonde brought her hand to her mouth and actually licked it before holding it out. Loki stared at it in disgust for a moment, and glanced back up at Amora. She raised an eyebrow at him.

If a woman could do it, so could he. The prince quickly brought his hand to his lips and licking it before quickly grabbing Amora's hand in his own. The second their skin touched, Loki felt an odd tingling in his hand; it spread up his wrist and through his whole entire arm. He felt the magic in the air around him hitch; he could feel it pulsing through his veins, he could feel it on every inch of his skin—

The sensation ended abruptly when Amora pulled her hand away.

"What was that?" asked Loki, wiping his hand on his shirt before looking at it curiously.

"I needed your commitment, didn't I?" answered Amora. "Now, really Lucy, weren't you supposed to be getting a glass of water?"

Loki gaped slightly and glanced up at Amora—only to find that she was no longer there. Skittishly, the prince looked around the hallway for the woman, but found no trace of her. At the moment, he didn't care about where she was or had gone—he was going to learn how to control his magic! He was so excited about that that he didn't bother thinking about what kinds of trouble he might have just gotten himself into.

* * *

><p><strong>An: Edit: **It's come to my attention (Thx _The Obsessionist_!) that I may have accidently quoted _Atlantis: The Lost Empire._ I am SO SORRY about that; I guess I've watched that movie so many times it's left an imprent on my brain. :P But yes, I'm aware of that, so carry on.

I have school tomorrow and I've been sick for the past couple days, so God knows how much make-up homework I'll have. Your reviews will all make it better, through. :)


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